Evaluation of Pesticidal activities of lignans isolated from Piper cubeba fruits

Authors: RIBEIRO, VICTOR - Orise Fellow; Bajsa Hirschel, Joanna; Tamang, Prabin; ESTEP, ALDEN - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); BASTOS, JAIRO - Federal University Of Sao Paulo; Meepagala, Kumudini

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/2/2024
Publication Date: 11/5/2024
Citation: Ribeiro, V., Bajsa Hirschel, J.N., Tamang, P., Estep, A.S., Bastos, J.K., Meepagala, K.M. 2024. Evaluation of Pesticidal activities of lignans isolated from Piper cubeba fruits. Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment. 13:341-354. https://doi.org/10.4236/jacen.2024.134023.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jacen.2024.134023

Interpretive Summary: Piper cubeba, commonly known as cubeb pepper or tailed pepper, is a plant species belonging to the Piperaceae family, native to Southeast Asia. The fruits of this plants have been historically utilized as a culinary spice and a traditional medicinal ingredient. In our continued search for pesticides of natural product origin we have investigated the extracts of Piper cubeba fruit extracts. From the ethanol/water ( 84%) extract, four major compounds were isolated and the identity was established by spectroscopic methods. These identified compounds were tested for herbicidal, mosquito larvicidal, and fungicidal assays. These compounds exhibited seed germination inhibition (herbicide activity), mosquito larvicide activity against dengue fever mosquitoes and fungicide activity against the fungus that cause strawberry anthracnose disease.

Technical Abstract: Piper cubeba L.F., commonly known as cubeb pepper or tailed pepper, is a plant species belonging to the Piperaceae family, native to Southeast Asia. Four major lignans —dihydroclusin, cubebin, clusin, and yatein— were isolated from the crude extract of Piper cubeba fruit. Phytotoxicity assays revealed herbicidal activity against Agrostis stolonifera, with dihydroclusin and clusin exhibiting the highest efficacy, inhibiting seed germination by 50% and showing IC50 values of 2.9 µM and 45 µM, respectively, against Lemna paucicostata. Additionally, all compounds, except dihydroclusin, demonstrated fungicidal activity against the strawberry anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum fragariae. Moreover, only dihydroclusin exhibited larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti, causing 96% mortality of mosquito larvae at the 100 PPM concentration tested. These findings highlight the broad-spectrum bioactivity of Piper cubeba lignans, suggesting their potential as alternative agents of synthetic pestcides for managing agricultural pests.