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Decaleside: a new class of natural insecticide targeting tarsal gustatory sites

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Abstract

Natural sources for novel insecticide molecules hold promise in view of their eco-friendly nature, selectivity, and mammalian safety. Recent progress in understanding the biology of insect olfaction and taste offers new strategies for developing selective pest control agents. We have isolated two natural insecticidal molecules from edible roots of Decalepis hamiltonii named Decalesides I and II, which are novel trisaccharides, highly toxic to household insect pests and stored-product insects. We have experimentally shown that insecticidal activity requires contact with tarsi on the legs but is not toxic orally. The insecticidal activity of molecules is lost by hydrolysis, and various sugars modify toxic response, showing that the insecticidal activity is via gustatory sites on the tarsi. Selective toxicity to insects by virtue of their gustatory site of action and the mammalian safety of the new insecticides is inherent in their chemical structure with 1-4 or 1-1 α linkage that is easily hydrolyzed by digestive enzymes of mammals. Decalesides represent a new chemical class of natural insecticides with a unique mode of action targeting tarsal chemosensory/gustatory system of insects.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the director of the institute for supporting this study and Mr. J.R. Manjunatha for help in obtaining NMR data. The first author acknowledges the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi for awarding the Senior Research Fellowship.

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Author notes

  1. Thimmappa Shivanandappa

    Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, Karnataka, 570006, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Protectants and Infestation Control, Central Food Technological Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Mysore, 570 020, India

    Yallappa Rajashekar & Thimmappa Shivanandappa

  2. Department of Plantation Products, Spices and Flavour Technology, Central Food Technological Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Mysore, 570 020, India

    Lingamallu J. M. Rao

Authors
  1. Yallappa Rajashekar
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  2. Lingamallu J. M. Rao
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  3. Thimmappa Shivanandappa
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Correspondence to Thimmappa Shivanandappa.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Rajashekar, Y., Rao, L.J.M. & Shivanandappa, T. Decaleside: a new class of natural insecticide targeting tarsal gustatory sites. Naturwissenschaften 99, 843–852 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0966-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0966-5

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