<i>Schinus molle</i> Resin Essential Oil as Potent Bioinsecticide Against <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>: Chemical Profile, <i>In Vitro</i> Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition, DFT Calculation and Molecular Docking Analysis
Wiem Baccari,
Ilyes Saidi,
Achref Jebnouni,
Safa Teka,
Sayda Osman,
Awatif Mansoor Alrasheeday,
Nuzaiha Mohamed,
Mabrouka El Oudi,
Hichem Ben Jannet
Affiliations
Wiem Baccari
Laboratory of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity (LR11ES39), Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products Team, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue of Environment, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
Ilyes Saidi
Laboratory of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity (LR11ES39), Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products Team, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue of Environment, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
Achref Jebnouni
Medical Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Hai’l, Hai’l 55476, Saudi Arabia
Safa Teka
Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Hai’l, Hai’l 55476, Saudi Arabia
Sayda Osman
Department of Public Health, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, University of Hai’l, Hai’l 55476, Saudi Arabia
Awatif Mansoor Alrasheeday
Nursing Administration Department, College of Nursing, University of Hai’l, Hai’l 55476, Saudi Arabia
Nuzaiha Mohamed
Department of Public Health, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, University of Hai’l, Hai’l 55476, Saudi Arabia
Mabrouka El Oudi
Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Hai’l, Hai’l 55476, Saudi Arabia
Hichem Ben Jannet
Laboratory of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity (LR11ES39), Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products Team, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue of Environment, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
Plants offer a bountiful source of natural pest control solutions through their essential oils. This research introduces and analyzes an eco-friendly natural essential oil for red flour beetle control. Therefore, the current study was included to show the chemical profile and the insecticidal efficacy of resin essential oil (REO) and its fractions (F1–3), resulting from chromatographic separation, from the plant Schinus molle against Tribolium castaneum adults. The trunk bark resin essential oil and its fractions’ composition were analyzed by GC-MS. Overall, 33 constituents with 98.3% of the total EO composition were identified. REO and F1–3 displayed impressive repellent properties at a concentration of 0.12 µL/cm2. After 120 min of exposure, repellency ranged from 73.3% to a remarkable 96.7%. They also exhibited noteworthy fumigant properties, with median lethal doses of LD50 = 120.6–160.8 μL/L. The fractions F1 and F3 showed the most notable topical toxicity at a concentration of 10%, with LD50 values of 8.6% and 5.6%, respectively. Fractions F3 and F2 demonstrated the most effective inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, providing insight into their insecticidal mechanisms. The in silico molecular docking and DFT studies corroborate the results of in vitro tests performed to identify new insecticide products derived from natural sources.
