Insecticidal, mutagenic and genotoxic evaluation of annonaceous acetogenins.

Annonaceous acetogenins represent a class of bioactive compounds whose primary mode of action is the inhibition of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Mitochondrial Complex I). Given the potential pesticidal use of these compounds, we evaluated the effects of seven acetogenins: squamocin (1), molvizarin (2), itrabin (3), almuñequin (4), cherimolin-1 (5), cherimolin-2 (6), and tucumanin (7) isolated from Annona cherimolia Mill. against Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Tephritidae). These acetogenins did not display insecticidal action at 250 microg of treatment per g of adult diet. However, the oviposition capacity of C. capitata females was significantly altered by some of the acetogenins at this concentration. The most potent compounds were itrabin, molvizarin and squamocin. Moreover, significant differences were detected in the preference of oviposition sites when itrabin and squamocin were spread on the surface of artificial fruits at doses of 30 microg/cm2. Additionally, we investigated the mutagenic effects displayed by itrabin, as well as the phytotoxic and genotoxic action of squamocin and itrabin. Both compounds displayed slight phytotoxic and genotoxic effects on roots of Allium cepa at 2.5 microg/mL though no mutagenic effects were detected at 0.25, 0.5 and 2.5 microg/mL on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100.