Physiological Effects of Resveratrol and Coumaric Acid on Two Major Groundnut Pests and Their Egg Parasitoid Behavior

Abstract

Groundnut, Arachis hypogea L., is one of the plant species that synthesizes phenolic compounds, resveratrol and coumaric acid. They are induced as a defense strategy in plant in response to feeding lepidopterans. The present study investigated the role of resveratrol and coumaric acid in producing antiherbivore effects as a direct defense against two major groundnut pests, Spodoptera litura F. and Amsacta albistriga W., and in indirect defense by attracting the egg parasitoid Trichogramma chilonis Ishii under laboratory conditions. The phenolic compounds deterred the feeding of both pests and caused reduction in the larval weights in a dose-dependent manner in leaf disk bioassays. Antioxidant mechanisms of larvae fed with these phenols were measured by estimating the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APOX), and catalase (CAT). Enzyme activities increased significantly in experimental larvae, more so in resveratrol-treated than in coumaric acid treated larvae. Feeding larvae with resveratrol and coumaric acid resulted in enhanced activities of detoxifying enzymes, carboxyl esterase (EST), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in the midgut tissues of both species, indicating the toxic nature of these compounds. Trichogramma chilonis was more attracted toward coumaric acid treatments in Y-olfactometer tests than to resveratrol. This study contributes to the understanding of the roles of resveratrol and coumaric acid in direct as well as indirect defense, we infer a possible utilization of these compounds in alternate measures of groundnut pest control in future.

Differential Stem Proteomics and Metabolomics Profiles for Four Wheat Cultivars in Response to the Insect Pest Wheat Stem Sawfly

“…. The antiherbivory effect of coumaric acids ( 17 ) was described in groundnuts (Arachis hypogea) in response to various feeding lepidopterans . Several other defense-related metabolites that increased in Hatcher included a pyranocoumarin ( 19 ), a butanolide ( 22 ), an azaphilone ( 23 ), and a benzopyran. − In addition, a more than 4-fold increase in a pyrimidine nucleoside in infested Hatcher and Denali indicated a large use of this metabolic precursor to produce toxic specialized metabolites…”

Aspergillus flavus induced oxidative stress and immunosuppressive activity in Spodoptera litura as well as safety for mammals

“…So different results observed of A.flavus in insects and rat may be attributed to the presence of these phenolics. Phenolic compounds act as antioxidants in mammals [67,68] and pro-oxidants in insects [67,[69][70][71] which oxidized after consumption by insects and the reaction products formed are responsible for causing oxidative stress [69]. The other thing regarding its safety and non toxicity on mammals is that it's a nonaflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus, the strain does not produce aflatoxin as proved in our previous study by LC-MS [29].…”

Dynamic regulation of phenylpropanoid pathway metabolites in modulating sorghum defense against fall armyworm

“…Several phenolics such as quercetin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and cinnamic acid showed herbicidal and insecticidal activities against duckweed, Lemna minor L., and the dusky cotton bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis, respectively (Younus et al, 2021). Similarly, phenolic compounds resveratrol and p-coumaric acid have been reported to reduce larval weights of S. litura and Amsacta albistriga (Sambangi and Rani, 2016). In cotton, chewing insects, Helicoverpa armigera and S. litura, induced accumulation of gallic acid, 4-cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, and salicylic acid in leaves.…”