Abstract
The effects of two polyphenolic flavonoids (flavanone naringenin and flavonol quercetin) on development, fecundity, and mortality of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Hemiptera: Aphididae), were determined in vitro, on an artificial diets. Also determined in vitro (DC EPG method), on sucrose–agarose gels, were the effects of flavonoids on the probing and feeding behavior of adult apterae. When added to a liquid diet, higher concentrations of studied flavonoids increased the developmental time, the pre-reproductive period, and mortality and decreased fecundity and the intrinsic rate of natural increase of A. pisum. In most events associated with stylet activity (as indicated by EPG waveform g-C), differences in probing behavior did not statistically differ between the control gel and those with flavonoids; quercetin at 10, 100, and 1,000 µg cm−3 prolonged the number of gel penetrations; and quercetin only at 10,000 μg cm−3 prolonged the time the first g-C waveform was observed. Addition of flavonoids to the gels generally reduced passive ingestion from fluids of the gels (EPG waveform g-E2). At higher concentrations (>1,000 µg cm−3) the flavonoids completely stopped salivation (EPG waveform g-E1) and passive ingestion from fluids of the gels (EPG waveform g-E2). In events associated with active ingestion (EPG waveform g-G), however, differences in feeding behavior did not statistically differ between the control gel and those with flavonoids. The present findings demonstrate detrimental effects of the flavanone naringenin and flavonol on the behavior of the pea aphid. This can be employed in a biotechnological projects for plant breeding resistant to herbivores, including aphids.
Highlights
Aphids have traditionally been controlled by application of insecticides, but chemical control has many disadvantages (Blackman and Eastop 2000; Despres et al 2007; Rharrabe et al 2007)
In most events associated with stylet activity, differences in probing behavior did not statistically differ between the control gel and those with flavonoids; quercetin at 10, 100, and 1,000 lg cm-3 prolonged the number of gel penetrations; and quercetin only at 10,000 lg cm-3 prolonged the time the first g-C waveform was observed
The factorial ANOVA included an assessment of the artificial diet effect (two experimental factors: (1) compound; (2) concentration (0, 1, 10, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 lg cm-3) on pea aphid population parameters
Summary
Aphids have traditionally been controlled by application of insecticides, but chemical control has many disadvantages (Blackman and Eastop 2000; Despres et al 2007; Rharrabe et al 2007). Plants synthesize a wide array of secondary metabolism compounds that are generally thought to be involved in plant–insect interactions (Kubo 2006) Such compounds, like flavonoids, confer some resistance against herbivores (Scalbert 1991; Marles et al 2003; Simmonds 2003; Dixon et al 2005; Goławska et al 2006, 2008; Goławska and Łukasik 2009). Flavonoids are plant secondary metabolites resulting from the addition of malonyl CoA to the phenylpropanoid molecule coumaroyl CoA (Winkel-Shirley 2002; Lepiniec et al 2006) These polyphenolic compounds are characterized by two aromatic cycles linked by a heterocycle. Flavonoids could be useful in a pest-management strategy involving transgenic plants that express specific flavonoids Such genetic engineering has been demonstrated (Yu et al 2003; Deavours and Dixon 2005). Understanding the activity of these compounds should (1) clarify the appropriateness of using the candidate genes for a given agronomical purpose; (2) help researches overcome the difficulties in using flavonoids in engineering strategies to construct genetically modified plants that resist insects (Sauvion et al 2004)
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