African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12487

Full Length Research Paper

Toxicity of copaiba extracts to armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)

  Dejane Santos Alves1*, Geraldo Andrade Carvalho1, Denilson Ferreira Oliveira2, Rafaella Ribeiro Sâmia1, Matheus Alvarenga Villas-Boas1, Gislaine Aparecida Carvalho2 and Angelita Duarte Côrrea2        
  1Department of Entomology, Federal University of Lavras, P.O. Box 3037, 37200-000 Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 2Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Lavras P.O. Box 3037, 37200-000 Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 17 February 2012
  •  Published: 22 March 2012

Abstract

 

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of methanolic extracts from leaves, peels, seeds and pulps from fruits of Copaifera langsdorffii on Spodoptera frugiperda. Extracts derived from leaves and fruit peels were more toxic to S. frugiperda than the others. Hence, they were added to the artificial diet and used in further experiments with the second instar larvae of the insect, which presented larval growth reduction, prolonged period of development, increased mortality, and lower fertility and fecundity of adults. Lower egg viability was also observed when the insect was treated with extracts of leaves and fruit peels in the larvae stage. Moreover, when subjected to ultrastructural analysis under a scanning electron microscope, such eggs showed abnormalities in the aeropylar and micropylar regions. Both extracts also increased the excretion of protein in the insect feces and inhibited trypsin activity in the in vitro test. Consequently, C. langsdorffii presents potential to be used in the development of new products to control the fall armyworm.

 

Key words: Copaifera langsdorffii, natural products, trypsin inhibitor, botanical insecticide.