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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #414371
Research Project: Mitigation of Invasive Pest Threats to U.S. Subtropical Agriculture

Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research

Title: Development of bioassay-guided isolation of kairomones for male Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, from Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil, and fingerprinting of M. alternifolia and related species using HPTLC

Author
item Tabanca, Nurhayat
item Cloonan, Kevin
item Gill, Micah
item Schnell, Elena
item Montgomery, Wayne
item Vazquez, Aime
item PAUL, KENDRA - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/21/2024
Publication Date: 8/22/2024
Citation: Tabanca, N., Cloonan, K.R., Gill, M.A., Schnell, E.Q., Montgomery, W.S., Vazquez, A., Paul, K.E. 2024. Development of bioassay-guided isolation of kairomones for male Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, from Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil, and fingerprinting of M. alternifolia and related species using HPTLC. Abstract. American Chemical Society , Denver, Colorado. August 18-22, 2024.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only.

Technical Abstract: The Mediterranean fruit fly, also known as the medfly, is a harmful pest that causes significant damage in many subtropical and tropical regions worldwide. Male medflies are highly attracted to a synthetic para pheromone called trimedlure (TML). However, due to its high cost and limited availability, researchers are searching for alternative attractants for future pest management programs. Semiochemical odors, comprised of numerous volatile constituents, play a crucial role in insect-plant relationships such as mating and oviposition. Different chromatographic techniques can be used to isolate bioactive components from plant extracts. In this study, a thin-layer chromatography (TLC) guided fractionation method was developed using tea tree essential oil (TTO) from Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden & Betche) Cheel, Myrtaceae, to identify the active chemicals responsible for C. capitata's attraction behavior. In the next step, five fractions were isolated using preparative TLC, and fly responses were measured using electroantennography (EAG). Short-range bioassays produced similar results to EAG responses, indicating that the TLC-based bioassay system can effectively identify insect kairomones from plant extracts or essential oils. A high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed for simple and rapid chemical fingerprint analysis of seven TTOs and four different Melaleuca spp. Oils. The developed method successfully identified TTO samples from other Melaleuca spp. Oils. The detailed chemical composition of Melaleuca essential oils was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS results confirmed that the developed HPTLC method could provide a faster, cost-effective alternative for qualitative analysis between TTO samples from various sources and for comparing subtle differences between TTO and other samples from different Melaleuca species.