title: Activation of octopaminergic receptors by essential oil constituents isolated from aromatic plants: possible mode of action against insect pests.
abstract: As a result of screening a large number of essential oils from Israeli aromatic plants and their biologically active constituents, we isolated two oils with high activity against several stored-product insects. In this study the effect of these compounds on the acetylcholinesterase and the octopamine systems in insects was studied in order to elucidate their mode of action. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity in vitro was evident only at high concentrations (10(-3) M) and could not account effectively for the low-dose mortality for some stored-product insects observed in vivo. However, the essential oil constituents were found to cause a significant increase in the levels of the intracellular messenger, cyclic AMP of abdominal epidermal tissue in the model insect, Helicoverpa armigera Hübn. The effect was significant even at low, physiological concentrations (10(-8) M) when tested directly on abdominal epidermal tissue preparations in vitro. This intracellular response was found to resemble closely the significant increases in the levels of the cyclic AMP of abdominal epidermal tissue due to treatment with the neurotransmitter/neuromodulator, octopamine. Subsequent treatment with the octopaminergic antagonist, phentolamine, effectively inhibited the cyclic AMP levels induced by essential oil treatment, indicating possible competitive activation of octopaminergic receptors by essential oil constituents.
authors.affiliation: ARO, Volcani Center, Institute for Technology and Storage of Agricultural Products, Department of Stored Products, PO Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel.
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kostyukovsky
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rafaeli
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gileadi
authors.forename: Nataly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Demchenko
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shaaya
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D007313:Insecta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D000077222:Limonene; D009655:Octopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000633:toxicity*; D010571:Pest Control / Q000379:methods; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D017982:Receptors, Biogenic Amine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D017982:Receptors, Biogenic Amine; C471113:SEM-76; D013729:Terpenes; C471114:ZP-51; C027604:norsynephrine receptor; D009655:Octopamine; D000077222:Limonene; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D010646:Phentolamine