Identification of Bioactive Compounds from Araticum do Cerrado in the Control of the Cabbage Moth
Annona coriacea, acetogenins, bioinsecticide, magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry
The cabbage moth (Plutella xylostella L. (1758)) is considered the main pest of crucifers. The wide distribution and adaptability of this pest make its management a great challenge; however, compounds extracted from plants may be a viable alternative for this insect. Species of the Annonaceae family stand out to produce secondary metabolites, such as acetogenins, which have effective properties in pest control. In the araticum of the cerrado (Annona coriacea Mart), this compound has already been described; however, the identification of these molecules is still limited. The objective of this study was to identify the bioactives of A. coriacea and their potential in the control of P. xylostella. The process of identification of the compounds was carried out with a guided bioassay on neonate caterpillars. The crude methanolic extract was fractionated by liquid-liquid partition, obtaining hexane (ACH), dichloromethane (ACD) and hydromethanolic (ACMA) partitions. The ACD partition showed positive results in caterpillar mortality in the bioassay, so it was fractionated by glass and silica column chromatography. The fractions were analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) with different eluents and submitted to the bioassay. The ACD15F8F9 fraction showed bioactivity in 100% of the caterpillars and was therefore subjected to analysis by Hydrogen Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR). Signals of the α, β-unsaturated β-lactone subunit, characteristic of acetogenin, were identified, and mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of Rolliniastatin-1. Thus, araticum from the cerrado has acetogenin with great insecticidal potential against the cabbage moth.