Toxicity and developmental effect of cucurbitacin E, from Citrullus colocynthis L. (Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae) against Spodoptera litura Fab. and a non-target earthworm Eisenia fetida Savigny

Authors: PONSANKAR, ATHIRSTAM - Xavier University; SAHAYARAJ, KITHERIAN - Xavier University; SENTHIL-NATHAN, SENGOTTAYAN - Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU); VASANTHA-SRINIVASAN, PRABHAKARAN - St Petersburg State University; KARTHI, SENGODAN - Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU); THANIGAIVEL, ANNAMALAI - Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU); PECHIDURAI, GANESAN - Xavier University; MADASAMY, MARIAPPAN - Xavier University; Hunter, Wayne

Submitted to: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2019
Publication Date: 2/8/2019
Citation: Ponsankar, A., Sahayaraj, K., Senthil-Nathan, S., Vasantha-Srinivasan, P., Karthi, S., Thanigaivel, A., Pechidurai, G., Madasamy, M., Hunter, W.B. 2019. Toxicity and developmental effect of cucurbitacin E, from Citrullus colocynthis L. (Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae) against Spodoptera litura Fab. and a non-target earthworm Eisenia fetida Savigny. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04438-1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04438-1

Interpretive Summary: Plants produce many defense compounds to reduce damage from insects. Analyses showed that Cucurbitacins are important plant defense compounds, that have toxic repellency to beetles, caterpillars, and other insects. The curcubitacins are natural bioactive compounds that may provide new treatments to reduce psyllid populations on citrus trees to aid the reduction of bacterial spread associated with huanglongbing.

Technical Abstract: Cucurbitacins are key compounds in Cucurbitaceae family of plants, as oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenes. These bioactive compounds are identified from A to E. Cucurbitacin-E was chemically characterized with chemical analytical methods. Evaluated on Lepidopteran, Spodoptera litura, larval in mortality bioassays revealed larvae exposed to cucurbitacin-E at a dose of 50 parts-per-million, ppm, resulted in greater mortality rates versus controls. The lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90) were 15.84 and 67.60 ppm for third instars. Sub-lethal concentrations of Cucurbitacin-E (2, 4, or 6 ppm) resulted in reduced survival, fecundity, and egg hatch. Curcubitacins may provide new treatments to reduce psyllid populations on citrus trees to aid the reduction of bacterial spread associated with huanglongbing.