Exploring Plant-Derived Compounds for Effective Insect Pest Management in Agriculture

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Topic, entitled “Exploring Plant-Derived Compounds for Effective Insect Pest Management in Agriculture”, examines the discovery of plant natural products involved in host-plant resistance, the application of plant metabolites as botanical insecticides or repellents, and the synthesis of more potent molecules for use as agrichemicals, including insecticides and synergists. Submissions may focus on the use of natural products chemistry to isolate and identify new molecules, the investigation of the bioactivity of plant metabolites using insect models, and the investigation of the toxicity or compatibility of botanicals/insecticides with beneficials such as pollinators, predators, and parasitoids. New findings and uses for previously discovered natural products are also of interest.

Dr. Ian Scott
Dr. Roselyne M. Labbé
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.6	6.3	2011	18.8 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Agrochemicals agrochemicals	-	-	2022	27 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
Agronomy agronomy	3.4	6.7	2011	17 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Crops crops	1.9	2.4	2021	22.4 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Insects insects	2.9	5.6	2010	18.9 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
International Journal of Plant Biology ijpb	-	3.0	2010	17 Days	CHF 1400	Submit
Plants plants	4.1	7.6	2012	16.5 Days	CHF 2700	Submit

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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All Agriculture Agronomy Crops Insects Plants Agrochemicals IJPB

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14 pages, 1060 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Novel Dillapiol Analogs as Insect Detoxification Enzyme Inhibitors and Insecticide Synergists

by Suqi Liu, Ana Francis Carballo-Arce, Zhiling Wang, Tony Durst, Steven R. Sims, John T. Arnason and Ian M. Scott

Insects 2026, 17(3), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17030351 - 23 Mar 2026

Viewed by 695

Abstract

Dillapiol is a naturally occurring methylenedioxyphenyl compound with insecticide-synergizing activity comparable to piperonyl butoxide (PBO). This study identified structurally related molecules with practical potential for managing insecticide-resistant insects. Six new dillapiol analogs, containing ester- or ether-linked side chains, were synthesized and evaluated as [...] Read more.

Dillapiol is a naturally occurring methylenedioxyphenyl compound with insecticide-synergizing activity comparable to piperonyl butoxide (PBO). This study identified structurally related molecules with practical potential for managing insecticide-resistant insects. Six new dillapiol analogs, containing ester- or ether-linked side chains, were synthesized and evaluated as pyrethrum synergists against the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Their activity was assessed through bioassays and by quantifying inhibition of Phase I and II detoxification enzymes in vitro and in vivo. All six compounds displayed higher synergistic activity by ingestion than by topical exposure, and each structural class included at least one compound with a synergism ratio greater than 20. In the resistant CPB strain (RS-CPB), two ester compounds inhibited P450 monooxygenase activity in vitro as effectively as PBO, while dillapiol and one ether analog reduced P450 activity in vivo. Notably, all six analogs reduced glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity; the most active was an ether analog with an in vitro IC₅₀ of 0.23 (±0.04) mM. Dillapiol also significantly reduced GST activity in vivo. These analogs demonstrated PBO-equivalent P450 inhibition combined with unique GST inhibition and show promise as alternative synergists for managing insecticide-resistant insects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Exploring Plant-Derived Compounds for Effective Insect Pest Management in Agriculture)

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14 pages, 2641 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Acaricidal Activity and Potential Application of Atropa belladonna

by Haicui Xie, Xuetao Yang, Caihong Cheng, Mengzhu Xian, Xiaolu Xiao, Xiuping Wang and Jun Li

Insects 2025, 16(11), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16111158 - 12 Nov 2025

Viewed by 878

Abstract

The growing resistance of Tetranychus urticae to chemical pesticides highlights the need for alternative solutions for its sustainable control. To develop botanical acaricides and reduce the usage of chemical pesticides, this study assessed the acaricidal activity of AB extract and its combinations with [...] Read more.

The growing resistance of Tetranychus urticae to chemical pesticides highlights the need for alternative solutions for its sustainable control. To develop botanical acaricides and reduce the usage of chemical pesticides, this study assessed the acaricidal activity of AB extract and its combinations with four commercial insecticides: imidacloprid (IMI), acetamiprid (ACE), thiamethoxam (TMX), and bifenthrin (BF). Results showed that the AB extract suppressed detoxification enzymes and downregulated their corresponding genes in T. urticae. Bioassays identified hyoscyamine and genistein as key bioactive compounds. Field trials revealed that treatments with AB + IMI, AB + TMX, and AB + BF significantly enhanced the corrected efficacy against T. urticae compared with AB treatment, with the highest corrected efficacy observed for AB + BF. Notably, the AB + BF treatment did not influence the stability of the natural enemy community, as indicated by the characteristic indices of the natural enemy community, which suggests that the integration of AB extract with BF may represent a sustainable pest management strategy. Therefore, the AB extract represents an environmentally benign alternative to chemical pesticides for the sustainable control of T. urticae. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Exploring Plant-Derived Compounds for Effective Insect Pest Management in Agriculture)

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