Synthesis, Insecticidal Activity and Computational Studies of Eugenol-Based Insecticides

Abstract

Eugenol, a natural phenolic allyl benzene that has been used as an active lead compound showing significant biological activities, including insecticidal effects on a wide variety of domestic arthropod pests, was used as the main reagent in the present work. Ester eugenol derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their insecticidal activities against the Spodoptera frugiperda cell line. Studies of structure-based inverted virtual screening were carried out in order to identify the potential targets associated with the obtained insecticidal activity. The results indicate that the insecticide activity observed is most likely a result of the interaction of these molecules with the odorant-binding proteins and/or with acetylcholinesterase.

Keywords

• eugenol
• eugenol esters
• <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>
• insecticides
• computational studies