Chemical composition of essential oils from leaves and fruits of Juniperus foetidissima and their attractancy and toxicity to two economically important tephritid fruit fly species, Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha suspensa

Authors: KURTCA, MEHMET - Selcuk University; TUMEN, IBRAHIM - Bartin University; KESKIN, HASAN - Bartin University; Tabanca, Nurhayat; Yang, Xiangbing; DEMIRCI, BETUL - Anadolu Universtiy; Kendra, Paul

Submitted to: Molecules
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/8/2021
Publication Date: 12/11/2021
Citation: Kurtca, M., Tumen, I., Keskin, H., Tabanca, N., Yang, X., Demirci, B., Kendra, P.E. 2021. Chemical composition of essential oils from leaves and fruits of Juniperus foetidissima and their attractancy and toxicity to two economically important tephritid fruit fly species, Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha suspensa. Molecules. 26(24):7504. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26247504.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26247504

Interpretive Summary: Increasing resistance to synthetic insecticides and the negative effects of chemical residues on the environment, non-target organisms, and human health have led to an urgent need for more environmentally friendly pest management options. Essential oils (EOs) and their rich source of bioactive compounds are considered one of the best resources for development of alternative insect control agents. Therefore, ARS scientists in Miami, FL, in collaboration with researchers from Turkey, evaluated Juniperus foetidissima EOs from the leaves (JFLEO) and fruit (JFFEO) as a potential source of attractants for Mediterranean fruit fly, medfly (Ceratitis capitata) and toxicants for Caribbean fruit fly, (Anastrepha suspensa). In lab bioassays with male medfly, both JFLEO and JFFEO showed strong attraction, equal to that observed with two positive controls, tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), and African ginger bush (Tetradenia riparia) EOs. In topical bioassays with female Caribbean fruit fly, the toxicity of JFFEO was two-fold greater than JFLEO due to differences in chemical components. This is the first report on the bioactivity of J. foetidissima EOs, and results indicate that JFFEO has good potential for incorporation into management programs for two economically important fruit fly pests.

Technical Abstract: The present study analyzed the chemical composition of Juniperus foetidissima Willd. leaf and fruit essential oils (EOs) and evaluated their attractancy and toxicity against two agriculturally important tephritid fruit flies. The composition of the hydrodistilled EOs obtained from leaves (JFLEO) and fruits (JFFEO) of J. foetidissima were analyzed by GC-FID and GC/MS. The main compounds were alpha-pinene (45%) and cedrol (18%) in the JFLEO and alpha-pinene (42%), alpha-thujone (12%), and beta-thujone (25%) in the JFFEO. In behavioral bioassays with male Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), both JFLEO and JFFEO showed strong attraction, comparable to that observed with two positive controls, Melaleuca alternifolia and Tetradenia riparia EOs. In topical bioassays with female adults of Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), the toxicity of JFFEO was two-fold higher than that of JFLEO, with the LD50 values of 10.46 and 22.07 ug/uL, respectively. This can be due to differences in chemical components between JFLEO and JFFEO. The JFFEO was dominated by 48% monoterpene hydrocarbons (MH) and 46% oxygenated monoterpenes (OM), while JFLEO possessed 57% MH, 18% OM, and 20% oxygenated sesquiterpenes (OS). This is the first study to evaluate attractancy and toxicity of J. foetidissima EOs against tephritid fruit flies. Our results indicate that JFFEO has potential application for management of pest tephritid fruit flies and further investigation is warranted.