Integrated LC\u2013MS and GC\u2013MS-based untargeted metabolomics studies of the effect of azadirachtin on Bactrocera dorsalis larvae

You Zhou,Ben Ju Liu,Dong Mei Cheng,De Qiang Qin,Pei Wen Zhang,Zhi Xiang Zhang,Xiao Tian Chen

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-58796-9

Abstract

Azadirachtin exhibits excellent bioactivities against several hundred arthropods. However, current knowlege of its biochemical effect on B. dorsalis larvae is not deep enough. In this study, integrated LC-MS and GC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics were used to analyze the changes of endogenous metabolites and the biochemical effects of azadirachtin on B. dorsalis larvae. Azadirachtin has excellent bioactivities against B. dorsalis larvae in this study, leading to a longer developmental duration, lower survival rate, and low pupa weight. The effect of azadirachtin was investigated on a total of 22 and 13 differentially abundant metabolites in the LC–MS and GC–MS-based metabolomics results, are selected respectively. Pathway analysis indicated that 14 differentially enriched metabolic pathways, including seven influential pathways, are worthy of attention. Further integrated key metabolic pathway analysis showed that histidine metabolism, d-glutamine and d-glutamate metabolism, biotin metabolism, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism in B. dorsalis larvae are significantly relevant pathways affected by azadirachtin. Although extrapolating the bioactivity results in this study to the practical project of B. dorsalis pest management in the field has limitations, it was found that azadirachtin has a significant effect on the primary metabolism of B. dorsalis larvae.

Highlights

Bactrocera dorsalis is a destructive polyphagous and invasive insect pest of tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables; this oriental fruit fly has been found to attack many types of commercial fruits and a wide variety of agricultural products[1]
Transcriptomics analysis to investigate growth inhibition in Drosophila larvae after exposure to azadirachtin showed that 28 genes are significantly up or down regulated, with genes involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, defense response, signal transduction, instar larval or pupal development, and
Thereafter, we introduced an approach of integrated untargeted metabolomics using UPLC–QTOF-MS and GC–Q-MS to explore the changes in endogenous metabolites and the potential biological implications

Summary

Introduction

Bactrocera dorsalis is a destructive polyphagous and invasive insect pest of tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables; this oriental fruit fly has been found to attack many types of commercial fruits and a wide variety of agricultural products[1]. The protein, lipid, and glucose contents decreased, whereas uric acid increased when Glyphodes pyloalis larvae were fed with neem-treated mulberry leaves[21]. These studies clearly showed that azadirachtin can affect various biochemical compounds, such as carbohydrates, fatty acids, amino acids, cholesterol, uric acid, and urea. Such studies focused mainly on a few biochemical metabolites, and no further analysis was performed to determine the biological importance of these molecular changes. Thereafter, we introduced an approach of integrated untargeted metabolomics using UPLC–QTOF-MS and GC–Q-MS to explore the changes in endogenous metabolites and the potential biological implications

Methods

Results

Conclusion