In Vitro and In Vivo Toxicity Evaluation of Natural Products with Potential Applications as Biopesticides
Felicia Sangermano,
Marco Masi,
Amrish Kumar,
Ravindra Peravali,
Angela Tuzi,
Alessio Cimmino,
Daniela Vallone,
Giuliana Giamundo,
Ivan Conte,
Antonio Evidente,
Viola Calabrò
Affiliations
Felicia Sangermano
Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Marco Masi
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Amrish Kumar
Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
Ravindra Peravali
Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
Angela Tuzi
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Alessio Cimmino
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Daniela Vallone
Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
Giuliana Giamundo
Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
Ivan Conte
Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Antonio Evidente
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Viola Calabrò
Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
The use of natural products in agriculture as pesticides has been strongly advocated. However, it is necessary to assess their toxicity to ensure their safe use. In the present study, mammalian cell lines and fish models of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes) have been used to investigate the toxic effects of ten natural products which have potential applications as biopesticides. The fungal metabolites cavoxin, epi-epoformin, papyracillic acid, seiridin and sphaeropsidone, together with the plant compounds inuloxins A and C and ungeremine, showed no toxic effects in mammalian cells and zebrafish embryos. Conversely, cyclopaldic and α-costic acids, produced by Seiridium cupressi and Dittrichia viscosa, respectively, caused significant mortality in zebrafish and medaka embryos as a result of yolk coagulation. However, both compounds showed little effect in zebrafish or mammalian cell lines in culture, thus highlighting the importance of the fish embryotoxicity test in the assessment of environmental impact. Given the embryotoxicity of α-costic acid and cyclopaldic acid, their use as biopesticides is not recommended. Further ecotoxicological studies are needed to evaluate the potential applications of the other compounds.