Department of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland.
Laboratory of Electron and Confocal Microscopy, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland.
Arch Insect Biochem Physiol. 2024 Nov;117(3):e70003. doi: 10.1002/arch.70003.
Presently, the European Commission is moving forward with a plan to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and increase the percentage of organic farming by 2030; this plan demands increased availability of biopesticides for organic farming. Glycoalkaloids are a class of molecules found in certain plants, including tomatoes and potatoes, which contain sugar and an alkaloid group. These compounds are known to have insecticidal properties, as they can act as natural defenses against insect pests. This study examined how a biological substance, glycoalkaloids, affects mortality and the retrocerebral complex of two beetle species, Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas atratus. More specifically, we focused on two glycoalkaloids, α-solanine and α-tomatine. Although these two insects belong to the same taxonomic family, they were not equally susceptible to these substances. In the mortality test, we observed that the T. molitor beetle seemed more susceptible, whereas the changes in the retrocerebral complex were more significant in the case of Z. atratus. In general, the effects vary between substances and insects, and changes in the retrocerebral complex may impair the reproduction of insects.
目前，欧盟委员会正在推进一项计划，要求到 2030 年减少化学农药的使用并提高有机农业的比例；该计划要求为有机农业增加生物农药的供应。糖苷生物碱是一类存在于某些植物中的分子，包括西红柿和土豆，它们含有糖和生物碱基团。这些化合物具有杀虫特性，因为它们可以作为天然防御机制来抵御害虫。本研究探讨了生物物质糖苷生物碱如何影响两种甲虫（黄粉虫和暗黑鳃金龟）的死亡率和后脑复合体。更具体地说，我们专注于两种糖苷生物碱，α-茄碱和α-番茄碱。尽管这两种昆虫属于同一分类家族，但它们对这些物质的敏感性并不相同。在死亡率测试中，我们观察到 T. molitor 甲虫似乎更敏感，而 Z. atratus 后脑复合体的变化更为显著。一般来说，不同物质和昆虫之间的影响不同，而后脑复合体的变化可能会损害昆虫的繁殖。
