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The primary challenge facing the global animal industry is the scarcity of protein feed resources. Various insects are gaining prominence as innovative feed sources due to their economic, environmentally friendly, and nutritious attributes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a partial replacement of soybean meal with fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) on the growth performances, blood parameters, gut histology, and meat quality of broilers. A total of 350 1-day-old (40 ± 0.15 g) male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to seven experimental meals. Each treatment was repeated five times with 50 birds per dietary treatment. The seven dietary treatments included 4, 8, and 12% replacements of SBM with larvae of S. frugiperda and H. illucens. SBM was the basal diet considered the control. The data showed that broilers fed 12% S. frugiperda or H. illucens exhibited a significantly higher (p < 0.05) live weight, average daily weight gain, and improved the feed conversion ratio. Meals with 12% S. frugiperda or H. illucens significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) haematological and gut histological parameters, including villus height, crypt depth, villus width, and villus height/crypt depth ratios. The meat of broilers fed the 12% S. frugiperda diet showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) lightness and yellowness. Replacing soybean meal up to 12% with either S. frugiperda or H. illucens larvae improves the growth performance, blood haematology, gut morphometry, and meat quality traits of broilers.

The current study aimed to evaluate the presence of chemical variations in essential oils (EOs) extracted from Artemisia scoparia growing at different altitudes and to reveal their antibacterial, mosquito larvicidal, and repellent activity. The gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric analysis of A. scoparia EOs revealed that the major compounds were capillene (9.6–31.8%), methyleugenol (0.2–26.6%), β-myrcene (1.9–21.4%), γ-terpinene (1.5–19.4%), trans-β-caryophyllene (0.8–12.4%), and eugenol (0.1–9.1%). The EO of A. scoparia collected from the city of Attock at low elevation was the most active against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria (minimum inhibitory concentration of 156–1250 µg/mL) and showed the best mosquito larvicidal activity (LC50, 55.3 mg/L). The EOs of A. scoparia collected from the high-altitude areas of Abbottabad and Swat were the most repellent for females of Ae. aegypti and exhibited repellency for 120 min and 165 min, respectively. The results of the study reveal that different climatic conditions and altitudes have significant effects on the chemical compositions and the biological activity of essential oils extracted from the same species.

Rhagoletis batava (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the most important pest of Hippophae rhamnoides fruits. For detection and monitoring of R. batava, traps supplied with nonspecific attractants are used. Thus, new, more specific attractants for environment-friendly pest control are needed. Such attractants could be fruit-related semiochemicals that are involved in the host location by flies. Behavioural Y-olfactometer tests revealed that R. batava males were attracted to ripe fruit odour, while females preferred unripe and semi-ripe fruits. Thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed substantial quantitative and qualitative changes in volatiles between unripe and ripe fruits. In the unripe fruit emission, 41 volatile compounds were isolated, whereas 64 compounds were sampled from the ripe fruits. The total amount of volatiles increased five times during the fruit ripening. Gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) and GC-MS analyses of the fruit headspace volatiles revealed at least 26 compounds in unripe and 27 compounds in ripe fruits eliciting antennal responses of R. batava for both sexes. The fruits of these two ripening stages differed qualitatively in the single EAD-active compound only, i.e., 3-methylbutyl 2-methylpropionate. Esters were the most abundant volatiles, composing 84% and 93% of EAD-active compounds in the emissions of unripe and ripe fruits, respectively. Based on the persistent EAG responses, 17 compounds were selected as the most promising candidates for kairomone attractants of the sea buckthorn pest R. batava.

European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the most important pest of sweet and sour cherry fruit. This fly is difficult to control by insecticide application since most of the conventional insecticides used have been banned in Europe. Traps are used for both the pest’s mass trapping and the detection of the beginning of the flight period. Data on flies’ reactions to host-plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be used to search for new attractants. VOCs were collected from the headspace of sour cherry, P. cerasus, fruit. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) resulted in the identification of 51 compounds. Terpenes and esters predominated in two aspects: in the highest diversity of the compounds, and the amount of the total VOC emissions (62.3%). Among the single VOCs, ethyl octanoate prevails, followed by (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene. GC–electroantennographic detection (GC–EAD) revealed 14 EAG-active compounds and those were identified. In Y-tube olfactometer tests, EAG-active compounds ((E)-β-ocimene, linalool, and (Z)-3-hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate) attracted R. cerasi females in a similar way to the odour of sour cherry fruit.

Yeast produced semiochemicals are increasingly used in pest management programs, however, little is known on which yeasts populate cherry fruits and no information is available on the volatiles that modify the behaviour of cherry pests including Rhagoletis cerasi flies. Eighty-two compounds were extracted from the headspaces of eleven yeast species associated with sweet and sour cherry fruits by solid phase micro extraction. Esters and alcohols were the most abundant volatiles released by yeasts. The multidimensional scaling analysis revealed that the odour blends emitted by yeasts were species-specific. Pichia kudriavzevii and Hanseniaspora uvarum yeasts released the most similar volatile blends while P. kluyveri and Cryptococcus wieringae yeasts produced the most different blends. Combined gas chromatographic and electroantennographic detection methods showed that 3-methybutyl acetate, 3-methylbutyl propionate, 2-methyl-1-butanol, and 3-methyl-1-butanol elicited antennal responses of both R. cerasi fruit fly sexes. The two-choice olfactometric tests revealed that R. cerasi flies preferred 3-methylbutyl propionate and 3-methyl-1-butanol but avoided 3-methybutyl acetate. Yeast-produced behaviourally active compounds indicated a potential for use in pest monitoring and control of R. cerasi fruit flies, an economically important pest of cherry fruits.

Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus L.) and sweet cherries (P. avium L.) are economically important fruits with high potential in the food industry and medicine. In this study, we analyzed fungal communities associated with the carposphere of sour and sweet cherries that were freshly harvested from private plantations and purchased in a food store. Following DNA isolation, a DNA fragment of the ITS2 rRNA gene region of each sample was individually amplified and subjected to high-throughput NGS sequencing. Analysis of 168,933 high-quality reads showed the presence of 690 fungal taxa. Investigation of microbial ASVs diversity revealed plant-dependent and postharvest handling-affected fungal assemblages. Among the microorganisms inhabiting tested berries, potentially beneficial or pathogenic fungi were documented. Numerous cultivable yeasts were isolated from the surface of tested berries and characterized by their antagonistic activity. Some of the isolates, identified as Aureobasidium pullulans, Metschnikowia fructicola, and M. pulcherrima, displayed pronounced activity against potential fungal pathogens and showed attractiveness for disease control.

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Butterflies are believed to use mainly visual cues when searching for food and oviposition sites despite that their olfactory system is morphologically similar to their nocturnal relatives, the moths. The olfactory ability in butterflies has, however, not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we performed the first study of odour representation in the primary olfactory centre, the antennal lobes, of butterflies. Host plant range is highly variable within the butterfly family Nymphalidae, with extreme specialists and wide generalists found even among closely related species. Here we measured odour evoked Ca(2+) activity in the antennal lobes of two nymphalid species with diverging host plant preferences, the specialist Aglais urticae and the generalist Polygonia c-album. The butterflies responded with stimulus-specific combinations of activated glomeruli to single plant-related compounds and to extracts of host and non-host plants. In general, responses were similar between the species. However, the specialist A. urticae responded more specifically to its preferred host plant, stinging nettle, than P. c-album. In addition, we found a species-specific difference both in correlation between responses to two common green leaf volatiles and the sensitivity to these compounds. Our results indicate that these butterflies have the ability to detect and to discriminate between different plant-related odorants.

Yeasts produce numerous antimicrobial agents such as killer toxins, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other secondary metabolites, establishing themselves in developing natural and sustainable biocontrol strategies for agriculture and food preservation. This study addressed the biocontrol potential of yeasts, isolated from spontaneous fermentations of rosehips (Rosa canina L.) and rowanberries (Sorbus aucuparia L.), focusing on their killer phenotypes and VOCs production. Yeasts were isolated using spontaneous fermentations with Hanseniaspora uvarum and Metschnikowia pulcherrima identified as the dominant species, comprising approximately 70% of the yeast population. Among 163 isolated strains, 20% demonstrated killing activity, with Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibiting the strongest killing efficiency, as well as Pichia anomala and M. pulcherrima showing broad-spectrum antagonistic activity. This study identified dsRNA-encoded killer phenotypes in S. cerevisiae, S. paradoxus, and Torulaspora delbrueckii, revealing multiple distinct killer toxin types. The biocontrol potential of wild berry-inhabiting yeasts was demonstrated in a real food system, grape juice, where the S. cerevisiae K2-type killer strain significantly reduced fungal contaminants. The selected H. uvarum, M. pulcherrima, S. cerevisiae, and S. paradoxus yeast strains representing both berries were applied for VOC analysis and identification by gas chromatography-linked mass spectrometry. It was revealed that the patterns of emitted volatiles are yeast species-specific. Statistically significant differences between the individual VOCs were observed among killing phenotype-possessing vs. non-killer S. paradoxus yeasts, thus revealing the involvement of killer systems in multi-level biocontrol enablement. The performed studies deepen our understanding of potential yeast biocontrol mechanisms, highlight the importance of produced antimicrobials and volatiles in ensuring antagonistic efficacy, and prove the relevance of isolated biocontrol yeasts for improving food safety.

Citrus fruit peels are a rich source of essential oils (EOs), which contain biologically active compounds; however, they are often discarded as waste, which causes pollution. The fresh peels of eight citrus cultivars growing in Pakistan were used to extract EOs through steam distillation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of fresh peel EOs revealed that limonene was the most abundant compound, constituting 94.5%, 96.1%, 95.3%, 93.3%, 56.2%, 91.5%, 96.4%, and 96.7% of Citrus jambhiri, C. aurantium, C. sinensis var. Malta cv. Blood Malta, C. sinensis var. Malta cv. Shakri Malta, C. limon, C. pseudolimon, C. reticulata var. Mandarin cv. Feutrell’s Early, and C. reticulata var. Mandarin cv. Kinnow, respectively. The dried peel EO of C. reticulata var. Mandarin cv. Kinnow contained 95.2% limonene. C. limon peel EO exhibited the highest antibacterial activity among all citrus peel EOs with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 312 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus. The C. aurantium and C. sinensis var. Malta cv. Shakri Malta peel EOs exhibited the highest mosquito repellent activity against Ae. aegypti females, providing protection for 45 min when tested at a concentration of 166 µg/cm2. This study showed C. aurantium and Shakri Malta peel EOs could be used to formulate natural mosquito repellent.

Abstract Malaria parasites can affect vector-related behaviours, increasing transmission success. Using Anopheles gambiae and Plasmodium falciparum, we consider the effect of interaction between infection stage and vector age on diel locomotion in response to human odour and the expression of antennal chemosensory genes. We identified age-dependent behavioural diel compartmentalisation by uninfected females post-blood meal. Infection disrupts overall and diel activity patterns compared with age-matched controls. In this study, mosquitoes carrying transmissible sporozoites were more active, shifting activity periods which corresponded with human host availability, in response to human odour. Older, uninfected, blood-fed females displayed reduced activity during their peak host-seeking period in response to human odour. Age- and infection stage-specific changes in odour-mediated locomotion coincide with altered transcript abundance of select chemosensory genes suggesting a possible molecular mechanism regulating the behaviour. We hypothesize that vector-related behaviours of female mosquitoes are altered by infection stage and further modulated by the age post-blood meal of the vector. Findings may have important implications for malaria transmission and disease dynamics.

Viktoria Stromsky and Melika Hajkazemian et al. examine the potential effect of HMPBB, a Plasmodium metabolite, on blood-feeding rates of major vector mosquitoes, like Anopheles gambiae. They report that HMBPP significantly increased blood feeding on all tested mosquito species, and suggest that it might be used to stimulate mosquitoes to gorge themselves on toxic baits, and ultimately die.

Aroma is one of the key food characteristics determining consumers’ perception and acceptability of products. Coriandrum sativum L. is an aromatic herb commonly used as a food additive and taste enhancer. Besides the culinary applications, coriander is also used in traditional medicine, cosmetics, and the food industry. In this study, we aimed to determine aroma composition of fresh chopped leaves and essential oils extracted from the leaves of four coriander cultivars. The essential oils were extracted from the fresh leaves using steam distillation and volatile aroma components were collected from the headspace by solid phase micro extraction technique. Analyses were carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Free radical scavenging activity of essential oils was determined by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. The essential oils were also investigated for their anti-microbial potential. The aroma of freshly chopped coriander leaves was characterized by thirteen compounds, including six aldehydes, four alcohols, one ester and one hydrocarbon. The essential oils were comprised of twenty-seven compounds, where (E)-2-decenal, decanal, (E)-2-dodecenal and (E)-2-tetradecenal were the main components in all cultivars. Free radical scavenging activity of the essential oil samples was in the range of 6–15%. The essential oils of Desi and Hybrid cultivars exhibited least minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against all tested bacterial strains. Fresh green leaves of the Desi and Peshawari cultivars were found to be the richest in six carbon chain length alcohols and acetates, which are important constituents of the aroma giving a characteristic odor referred to as the “green note.” The Hybrid cultivar showed the highest free radical scavenging activity, bearing the highest amount of antioxidants. The study revealed that the fresh leaves HS aroma of Desi and Hybrid cultivars were different, however, their essential oils possessed almost similar chemistry and anti-bacterial activity.

Olfactory cues have a large impact on insect behaviour and fitness consequently showing potential in pest management. Yeast released volatiles are used by insects as olfactory cues for finding feeding and oviposition sites. The yeast strain SB-16-15 was isolated from spontaneous fermentation of Hippophae rhamnoides berries and identified as Pichia kudriavzevii. Thirty-nine volatiles were sampled from the headspace of P. kudriavzevii yeasts by solid phase micro extraction and identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. Ten of those volatiles elicited antennal responses of Rhagoletis batava flies, one of the most serious pest of H. rhamnoides berries. In the two-choice experiments, R. batava flies preferred the mixture composed of nine synthetic compounds analogous to electroanntenographic active volatiles released by the yeasts compare to the solvent control. Female flies were significantly attracted to the mixture at the concentration 0.1 µL mL−1 and showed no preference to the mixture at the concentration 1 µL mL−1 versus control while males reacted positively to the synthetic blend at the concentration 1 µL mL−1. Herein, for the first time, behaviour modifying effect of H. rhamnoides berry related yeast volatiles was shown suggesting these semiochemicals have potential in use for monitoring R. batava flies. Keywords: Rhagoletis batava, Pichia kudriavzevii, Volatiles, Solid phase micro extraction, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Gas chromatography–electroantennographic detection

Sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides L., has considerable potential for landscape reclamation, food, medicinal, and cosmetics industries. In this study, we analyzed fungal microorganism populations associated with carposphere of sea buckthorn harvested in Lithuania. An amplicon metagenomic approach based on the ITS2 region of fungal rDNA was used to reveal the ripening-affected fungal community alterations on sea buckthorn berries. According to alpha and beta diversity analyses, depending on the ripening stage, sea buckthorn displayed significantly different fungal communities. Unripe berries were shown to be prevalent by Aureobasidium, Taphrina, and Cladosporium, while ripe berries were dominated by Aureobasidium and Metschnikowia. The selected yeast strains from unripe and mature berries were applied for volatile organic compounds identification by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. It was demonstrated that the patterns of volatiles of four yeast species tested were distinct from each other. The current study for the first time revealed the alterations of fungal microorganism communities colonizing the surface of sea buckthorn berries at different ripening stages. The novel information on specific volatile profiles of cultivable sea buckthorn-associated yeasts with a potential role in biocontrol is important for the development of the strategies for plant cultivation and disease management, as well as for the improvement of the quality and preservation of the postharvest berries. Management of the fungal microorganisms present on the surface of berries might be a powerful instrument for control of phytopathogenic and potentially antagonistic microorganisms affecting development and quality of the berries.

The plantation area of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is expanding in many European countries due to increasing demand for berries, thus creating suitable conditions for the rapid expansion of the fruit fly Rhagoletis batava, a pest of economic importance. To decrease insecticide use, effective means for pest population monitoring are required, including the use of pheromones. Male fruit flies emit (-)-δ-heptalactone as revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of samples obtained using headspace methods. The two enantiomers of δ-heptalactone were synthesized using enantioselective synthesis. A gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection analysis of both stereoisomers revealed that only (-)-δ-heptalactone elicited electrophysiological responses, whereas no signal was registered to (+)-δ-heptalactone in fruit flies of either sex. In the field assay, traps baited with (-)-δ-heptalactone caught significantly more fruit flies compared with the unbaited traps. Our results are the first to demonstrate the efficacy of (-)-δ-heptalactone as a bait for trapping R. batava. As a behaviorally attractive compound to R. batava fruit flies of both sexes, (-)-δ-heptalactone is attributed to aggregation pheromones. This is the first report of an aggregation pheromone within the genus Rhagoletis.