Pest Management Science (2017) 73, 636-640

Marilza S. Costa, Antônio E.G. Santana, Leandro L. Oliveira, José C. Zanuncio and José E. Serrão (2017)
Toxicity of squamocin on Aedes aegypti larvae, its predators and human cells
Pest Management Science 73 (3), 636-640
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
The mosquito Aedes aegypti transmits a virus that causes diverse human diseases, and control of the vector is an important strategy to avoid disease propagation. Plants in the family Annonaceae are recognised as sources of molecules with uses in the medical and agriculture fields. Molecules of secondary metabolites of Annonaceae plants exhibit insecticidal potential against insect pests and vectors, especially acetogenins, showing high toxicity at low doses, which has encouraged research into producing new insecticide molecules. Herein, we identify an acetogenin from Annona mucosa seeds (chemical analysis) and provide the results of toxicity tests against larvae of A. aegypti (target insect) and its predators Culex bigoti and Toxorhynchites theobaldi (non-target insects) and cytotoxicity to human leukocytes.
RESULTS
We identified squamocin (C₃₇H₆₆O₇), a fatty acid with a bis-tetrahydrofuran ring. In A. aegypti, this compound caused behavioural disturbance before larval death and high mortality at low concentrations (LC₅₀ = 0.01 µg mL^-1 and LC₉₀ = 0.11 µg mL^-1). However, in predators and human leukocytes, squamocin showed no toxicity effect, indicating the selectivity of this molecule for non-target organisms.
CONCLUSION
We identified squamocin from A. mucosa seeds, which exhibited lethal action against A. aegypti and showed selectivity for non-target insects and low cytotoxicity to human cells.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): José Eduardo Serrao, José Cola Zanuncio

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general
health/environmental effects of pesticides
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
resistance to pesticides

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aedes aegypti
Toxorhynchites theobaldi (predator)	Aedes aegypti