Abstract
Botanical pesticides have been used for the control of agricultural pests since antiquity, especially in biodiversity-rich countries. However, so far very limited products based on botanicals are commercially available due to lack of practical evidence, availability of raw materials at affordable prices, chemical standardization, the molecular mechanism of action, and strict legislation. The recent reports on the negative effects of currently used synthetic insecticides, and antimicrobial agents on health and the environment, revitalize the interest of agri-food industries towards the development of plant-based pesticidal agents for the sustainable management of storage pests. The current advancement in science and technology could overcome the limitations of botanicals, thus, in the past few years, insecticidal and antimicrobial properties of botanicals have been widely explored as a potential eco-friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. In the present review, we summarise the potential of botanicals against insect pests and microbial contamination of stored food grain. Further, the elucidation of the probable mechanism of toxicity, safety profile, and ecological risk assessment has been explored using computation tools. In addition, current existing limitations and the need for further research to develop eco-friendly plant-based pesticides for sustainable management of stored food grain and their shelved products have been discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbaszadeh S, Sharifzadeh A, Shokri H, Khosravi AR, Abbaszadeh A (2014) Antifungal efficacy of thymol, carvacrol, eugenol and menthol as alternative agents to control the growth of food-relevant fungi. Med Mycol J 24:51–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mycmed.2014.01.063
Abdelgaleil SA, Mohamed MI, Badawy ME, El-arami SA (2009) Fumigant and contact toxicities of monoterpenes to Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase activity. J Chem Ecol 35:518–525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-009-9635-3
Bajpai VK, Sharma A, Baek KH (2013) Antibacterial mode of action of Cudrania tricuspidata fruit essential oil, affecting membrane permeability and surface characteristics of food-borne pathogens. Food Control 32:582–590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.01.032
Bakkali F, Averbeck S, Averbeck D, Idaomar M (2008) Biological effects of essential oils–a review. Food Chem Toxicol 46:446–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.106
Bhavya ML, Chandu AGS, Devi SS (2018) Ocimum tenuiflorum oil, a potential insecticide against rice weevil with anti-acetylcholinesterase activity. Ind Crops Prod 126:434–439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.10.043
Boxall RA (2001) Post-harvest losses to insects-a world overview. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad 48:137–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0964-8305(01)00076-2
Chaubey MK (2016a) Fumigant and contact toxicity of Allium sativum (Alliaceae) essential oil against Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae). Entomol Appl Sci Lett 3:43–48
Chaubey MK (2016b) Insecticidal activities of Cinnamomum tamala (Lauraceae) essential oil against Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Int J Entomol Res 4:91–98
Chaudhari AK et al (2020a) Assessment of chitosan biopolymer encapsulated α-Terpineol against fungal, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and free radicals mediated deterioration of stored maize and possible mode of action. Food Chem 311:126010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.126010
Chaudhari AK, Singh VK, Das S, Singh BK, Dubey NK (2020b) Antimicrobial, aflatoxin B1 inhibitory and lipid oxidation suppressing potential of anethole-based chitosan nanoemulsion as novel preservative for protection of stored maize. Food Bioprocess Techol 13:1462–1477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-020-02479-w
da Silva BN (2015) Antifungal activity and inhibition of fumonisin production by Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil in Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg. Food Chem 166:330–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.06.019
Das S et al (2020) Assessment of chemically characterised Myristica fragrans essential oil against fungi contaminating stored scented rice and its mode of action as novel aflatoxin inhibitor. Nat Prod Res 34:1611–1615. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2018.1519826
Das S, Singh VK, Dwivedy AK, Chaudhari AK, Dubey NK (2021) Nanostructured Pimpinella anisum essential oil as novel green food preservative against fungal infestation, aflatoxin B1 contamination and deterioration of nutritional qualities. Food Chem 344:128574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128574
de Lira Mota KS, de Oliveira PF, De Oliveira WA, Lima IO, de Oliveira LE (2012) Antifungal activity of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil and its constituent phytochemicals against Rhizopus oryzae: interaction with ergosterol. Molecules 17:14418–14433. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules171214418
de Souza AM et al (2019) Efficacy of lemongrass essential oil and citral in controlling Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a post-harvest cowpea insect pest. Crop Prot 119:191–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2019.02.007
Devi KP, Nisha SA, Sakthivel R, Pandian SK (2010) Eugenol (an essential oil of clove) acts as an antibacterial agent against Salmonella typhi by disrupting the cellular membrane. J Ethnopharmacol 130:107–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2010.04.025
Diao WR, Hu P, Zhang H, Xu JG (2014) Chemical composition, antibacterial activity and mechanism of action of essential oil from seeds of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) Food Control 35:109–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.06.056
FAO (2019) The state of food security & nutrition in the world. https://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition/2019/en. Accessed 16 Feb 2022.
Gini G (2016) QSAR methods. In: Benfenati E (ed) In silico methods for predicting drug toxicity. Humana Press, New York, pp 1–20. ISBN: 9781493936090
Grdiša M, Gršić K (2013) Botanical insecticides in plant protection. Agric Conspec Sci 78: 85–93. https://hrcak.srce.hr/104637
Hu Z, Yuan K, Zhou Q, Lu C, Du L, Liu F (2021) Mechanism of antifungal activity of Perilla frutescens essential oil against Aspergillus flavus by transcriptomic analysis. Food Control 123:107703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107703
Hyldgaard M, Mygind T, Meyer RL (2012) Essential oils in food preservation: mode of action, synergies, and interactions with food matrix components. Front Microbiol 3:12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2012.00012
Inoue Y, Shiraishi A, Hada T, Hirose K, Hamashima H, Shimada J (2004) The antibacterial effects of terpene alcohols on Staphylococcus aureus and their mode of action. FEMS Microbiol Lett 237:325–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.2004.tb09714.x
Isman MB (2017) Bridging the gap: moving botanical insecticides from the laboratory to the farm. Ind Crops Prod 110:10–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.07.012
Jumbo LOV (2022) Potential of Bursera graveolens essential oil for controlling bean weevil infestations: Toxicity, repellence, and action targets. Ind Crops Prod 178:114611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.114611
Kalagatur NK et al (2015) Antagonistic activity of Ocimum sanctum L. essential oil on growth and zearalenone production by Fusarium graminearum in maize grains. Front Microbiol 6:892. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00892
Khan MS, Zahin M, Hasan S, Husain FM, Ahmad I (2009) Inhibition of quorum sensing regulated bacterial functions by plant essential oils with special reference to clove oil. Lett Appl Microbiol 49:354–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2009.02666.x
Kiran S, Prakash B (2015a) Assessment of toxicity, antifeedant activity, and biochemical responses in stored-grain insects exposed to lethal and sublethal doses of Gaultheria procumbens L. essential oil. J Agric Food Chem 63:10518–10524. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b03797
Kiran S, Prakash B (2015b) Toxicity and biochemical efficacy of chemically characterized Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil against Sitophilus oryzae and Oryzaephilus surinamensis. Ind Crops Prod 74:817–823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.05.073
Kiran S, Kujur A, Patel L, Ramalakshmi K, Prakash B (2017) Assessment of toxicity and biochemical mechanisms underlying the insecticidal activity of chemically characterized Boswellia carterii essential oil against insect pest of legume seeds. Pestic Biochem Physiol 139:17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2017.04.004
Krzyżowski M, Baran B, Łozowski B, Francikowski J (2020) The effect of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil fumigation on biochemical, behavioral, and physiological parameters of Callosobruchus maculatus. Insects 11:344. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11060344
Kujur A, Kumar A, Yadav A, Prakash B (2020) Antifungal and aflatoxin B1 inhibitory efficacy of nanoencapsulated Pelargonium graveolens L. essential oil and its mode of action. LWT Food Sci Technol 130:109619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109619
Kujur A, Kumar A, Singh PP, Prakash B (2021) Fabrication, characterization, and antifungal assessment of Jasmine essential oil-loaded chitosan nanomatrix against Aspergillus flavus in food system. Food Bioprocess Technol 14:554–571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-021-02592-4
Kumar D, Kalita P (2017) Reducing postharvest losses during storage of grain crops to strengthen food security in developing countries. Foods 6:8. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6010008
Kumar A, Kujur A, Singh PP, Prakash B (2019) Nanoencapsulated plant-based bioactive formulation against food-borne molds and aflatoxin B1 contamination: preparation, characterization and stability evaluation in the food system. Food Chem 287:139–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.02.045
Kumar A, Gupta V, Singh PP, Kujur A, Prakash B (2020a) Fabrication of volatile compounds loaded-chitosan biopolymer nanoparticles: optimization, characterization and assessment against Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin B1 contamination. Int J Biol Macromol 165:1507–1518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020a.09.257
Kumar A, Singh PP, Prakash B (2020b) Unravelling the antifungal and anti-aflatoxin B1 mechanism of chitosan nanocomposite incorporated with Foeniculum vulgare essential oil. Carbohydr Polym 236:116050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116050
Lamontagne Boulet M et al (2018) Tomatidine is a lead antibiotic molecule that targets Staphylococcus aureus ATP synthase subunit C. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.02197-17
Lengai GM, Muthomi JW, Mbega ER (2020) Phytochemical activity and role of botanical pesticides in pest management for sustainable agricultural crop production. Sci Afr 7:00239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2019.e00239
Liao M et al (2016) Insecticidal activity of Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil and RNA-Seq analysis of Sitophilus zeamais transcriptome in response to oil fumigation. PLoS ONE 11:e0167748. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167748
Liu X, Cao A, Yan D, Ouyang C, Wang Q, Li Y (2021) Overview of mechanisms and uses of biopesticides. Int J Pest Manag 67:65–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/09670874.2019.1664789
Luc D, Michel BJ, Vanina L, Alain M, Liliane B, Michel BJ (2020) Antibacterial mode of action of the Daucus carota essential oil active compounds against Campylobacter jejuni and efflux-mediated drug resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Molecules. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25225448
Manso S, Cacho-Nerin F, Becerril R, Nerín C (2013) Combined analytical and microbiological tools to study the effect on Aspergillus flavus of cinnamon essential oil contained in food packaging. Food Control 30:370–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2012.07.018
Maurya A, Kumar S, Singh BK, Chaudhari K, Dwivedy AK, Prakash B, Dubey NK (2021) Mechanistic investigations on antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activities of chemically characterised Carum carvi L. essential oil against fungal infestation and aflatoxin contamination of herbal raw materials. Nat Prod Res. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2021.1994566
Miresmailli S, Isman MB (2014) Botanical insecticides inspired by plant–herbivore chemical interactions. Trends Plant Sci 19:29–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2013.10.002
Moreira MD (2007) Plant compounds insecticide activity against Coleoptera pests of stored products. Pesqui Agropecu Bras 42:909–915. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-204X2007000700001
Moro S, Sturlese M, Ciancetta A, Floris M (2016) In silico 3D modeling of binding activities. In: Benfenati E (ed) In silico methods for predicting drug toxicity. Humana Press, New York, pp 23–35. ISBN: 9781493936090
Moses JP, Nattudurai G, Baskar K, Arokiyaraj S, Jayakumar M (2020) Efficacy of essential oil from Clausena anisata and its impact on biochemical changes of Sitophilus oryzae. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27:23215–23221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08928-5
O’Bryan CA, Pendleton SJ, Crandall G, Ricke SC (2015) Potential of plant essential oils and their components in animal agriculture–in vitro studies on antibacterial mode of action. Front Vet Sci 2:35. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2015.00035
Oyedeji AO, Okunowo WO, Osuntoki AA, Olabode TB, Ayo-Folorunso F (2020) Insecticidal and biochemical activity of essential oil from Citrus sinensis peel and constituents on Callosobrunchus maculatus and Sitophilus zeamais. Pestic Biochem Physiol 168:104643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2020.104643
Pavela R, Benelli G (2016) Essential oils as ecofriendly biopesticides? Challenges and constraints. Trends Plant Sci 21:1000–1007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2016.10.005
Peixoto LR, Rosalen PL, Ferreira GL, Freires IA, de Carvalho FG, Castellano LR, de Castro RD (2017) Antifungal activity, mode of action and anti-biofilm effects of Laurus nobilis Linnaeus essential oil against Candida spp. Arch Oral Biol 73:179–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archoralbio.2016.10.013
Perello AE, Noll U, Slusarenko AJ (2013) In vitro efficacy of garlic extract to control fungal pathogens of wheat. Med Plant Res 7:1809–1817. https://doi.org/10.5897/JMPR12.511
Phillips TW, Throne JE (2010) Biorational approaches to managing stored-product insects. Annu Rev Entomol 55:375–397. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.54.110807.090451
Pires DE, Blundell TL, Ascher DB (2015) pkCSM: predicting small-molecule pharmacokinetic and toxicity properties using graph-based signatures. J Med Chem 58:4066–4072. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00104
Prakash B, Singh P, Yadav S, Singh SC, Dubey NK (2013) Safety profile assessment and efficacy of chemically characterized Cinnamomum glaucescens essential oil against storage fungi, insect, aflatoxin secretion and as antioxidant. Food Chem Toxicol 53:160–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2012.11.044
Prakash B, Kedia A, Mishra PK, Dubey NK (2015) Plant essential oils as food preservatives to control moulds, mycotoxin contamination and oxidative deterioration of agri-food commodities—potentials and challenges. Food Control 47:381–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.07.023
Prakash B, Kujur A, Yadav A, Kumar A, Singh PP, Dubey NK (2018) Nanoencapsulation: an efficient technology to boost the antimicrobial potential of plant essential oils in food system. Food Control 89:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.01.018
Pretorius JC, Watt E (2011) Natural products from plants: commercial prospects in terms of antimicrobial, herbicidal and bio-stimulatory activities in an integrated pest management system. In: Dubey NK (ed) Natural products in plant pest management, CABI, pp 42–90. ISBN: 9781845936716
Rattan RS (2010) Mechanism of action of insecticidal secondary metabolites of plant origin. Crop Prot 29:913–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2010.05.008
Sharma A, Bajpai VK, Baek KH (2013) Determination of antibacterial mode of action of a llium sativum essential oil against foodborne pathogens using membrane permeability and surface characteristic parameters. J Food Saf 33:197–208. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfs.12040
Silva F, Ferreira S, Queiroz JA, Domingues FC (2011) Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) essential oil: its antibacterial activity and mode of action evaluated by flow cytometry. J Med Microbiol 60:1479–1486. https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.034157-0
Singh PP, Kumar A, Prakash B (2020) Elucidation of antifungal toxicity of Callistemon lanceolatus essential oil encapsulated in chitosan nanogel against Aspergillus flavus using biochemical and in-silico approaches. Food Addit Contam 37:1520–1530. https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2020.1775310
Singh PP, Jaiswal AK, Kumar A, Gupta V, Prakash B (2021) Untangling the multi-regime molecular mechanism of verbenol-chemotype Zingiber officinale essential oil against Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin B1. Sci Rep 11:1–20. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86253-8
Tyagi SK, Guru PN, Nimesh A, Bashir AA, Patgiri P, Mohod V, Khatkar AB (2019) Post-harvest stored product insects and their management. ICARAICRP on PHET, Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology, Ludhiana (Punjab) Technical Bulletin. http://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/handle/123456789/31390. Accessed 17 Feb 2022.
Velasques J, Cardoso MH, Abrantes G, Frihling BE, Franco OL, Migliolo L (2017) The rescue of botanical insecticides: A bioinspiration for new niches and needs. Pestic Biochem Physiol 143:14–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2017.10.003
Ware GW, Whitacre DM (2004) The pesticide book. MeisterPro Information Resources, Ohio.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2017.10.003
Wu T et al (2013) A structure–activity relationship study of flavonoids as inhibitors of E. coli by membrane interaction effect. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr 1828:2751–2756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2013.07.029
Wu Y et al (2016) Antibacterial activity and membrane-disruptive mechanism of 3-p-trans-coumaroyl-2-hydroxyquinic acid, a novel phenolic compound from pine needles of Cedrus deodara, against Staphylococcus aureus. Molecules. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21081084
Yadav A, Kumar A, Singh PP, Prakash B (2021) Pesticidal efficacy, mode of action and safety limits profile of essential oils based nanoformulation against Callosobruchus chinensis and Aspergillus flavus. Pestic Biochem Physiol 175:104813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2021.104813
Yang X, Han H, Li B, Zhang D, Zhang Z, Xie Y (2021) Fumigant toxicity and physiological effects of spearmint (Mentha spicata, Lamiaceae) essential oil and its major constituents against Reticulitermes dabieshanensis. Ind Crops Prod 171:113894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113894
Zhang Y, Liu X, Wang Y, Jiang P, Quek S (2016) Antibacterial activity and mechanism of cinnamon essential oil against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Food Control 59:282–289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.05.032
Zhang Q, Li J, Middleton A, Bhattacharya S, Conolly RB (2018) Bridging the data gap from in vitro toxicity testing to chemical safety assessment through computational modeling. Public Health Front 6:261. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00261
Zhang YC, Gao SS, Xue S, Zhang KP, Wang JS, Li B (2020) Odorant-binding proteins contribute to the defense of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, against essential oil of Artemisia vulgaris. Front Physiol. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00819
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the Science and Engineering Research Board (Scheme No. EEQ/2018/000124) New Delhi, India, and Institute of Eminence (No. R/Dev/D/IOE/Incentive/2021-22/32393) Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi- India for financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Prakash, B., Singh, P.P., Kumar, A. et al. Botanicals for Sustainable Management of Stored Food Grains: Pesticidal Efficacy, Mode of Action and Ecological Risk Assessment Using Computational Approaches. Anthr. Sci. 1, 62–79 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44177-022-00016-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44177-022-00016-2