Antifeedant activity from benzofurane-type compounds

Abstract

Benzofuranes are characteristic natural compounds in many plant families as Rutaceae, Liliaceae or Ciperaceae, but mostly have been isolated from certain tribes of Asteraceae family.1-2 , Several benzofuranes have shown interesting biological activities3-4 . As part of our research in biopesticide models, we report the isolation of bioactive benzofurane-type compounds from two species of Pericallis, the only genus in the tribe Senecionae endemic of the Macaronesian region. We collected aerial parts and seeds of Pericallis stettzii and P. echinata wild populations and established in vitro transformed root cultures (Agrobacterium rhizogenes ATCC 15834) for the sustainable production of plant biomass. We obtained derivatives 5 and 6 from the microbiological transformation of the mayor component 1 with Mucor plumbeus. Products 1-12 were identified by RMN as benzofurane-type compounds. Two of them are new natural products (9 and 10). All were bioassayed as insect antifeedants against several pests with different feeding ecologies (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae and Rhopalosiphum padi).