Category:

Assessment of Synergistic Pesticidal effect of local spices and Fagopyrum esculentum Health Molecular
against stored grain beetle (Tribolium castaneum) Biology
1Arshia Nazir, MPhil Scholar; 2 Adeena Saeed*, Mphil Scholar; 3 Kausar Malik, PhD
1-3 [Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore-Pakistan]
Presenter: Arshia Nazir, Adeena Saeed and Kausar Malik

➢The ultimate goal of the study is the formulation of biopesticide that is edible Table 1: Pesticidal activity of local spices against T. castaneum
Abstract and has no harmful effects on human health. larvae

Red flour beetle or Tribolium castaneum causes destruction to Spices/ No. of Concentration Larvae Percentage
stored grains and starchy materials and damage to Pakistan’s Methodology Plant Insects (g/g of diet) Died Mortality
economy. Emergence of resistance and scarcity of novel pesticides Used in
demanded the development of new, eco-friendly and cost-effective Clove 24 0.7g/g 8 33
Insect rearing and collection
pesticides. In order to control red flour beetle, biopesticidal activity
Tribolium castaneum was collected from wheat flour purchased from local Cinnamon 24 1 4.2
of each of five powdered spices (clove, dried ginger, cinnamon, 0.7g/g
market. The larvae were reared on a specific diet consisting of semolina For
green cardamom and black cardamom) and powdered Fagopyrum Black 24
this purpose a glass jar was taken and 250 g of diet along with 20 adult pairs 0.7g/g 0 0
esculentum (buckwheat) was checked against the larvae of Cardamom
were introduced in it and kept at 30oC in the cabinet of the lab. The jar was
Tribolium castaneum while semolina was used as pest diet. In Green 24
covered with a white muslin cloth. Bioassay analysis was conducted on third 0.7g/g 0 0
addition, synergistic effect of each of the five spices and Cardamom
instar larvae.
Fagopyrum esculentum was checked against the larvae of Dried 24
Collection of Spices and F. esculentum 0.7g/g 1 4.2
Tribolium castaneum. All the bioassays were conducted at room Ginger
Clove (flower buds), Cinnamon (bark), Black cardamom (seeds),green
temperature and the percentage of mortality was calculated at 7th
cardamom (seeds) and dried ginger (rhizome) were purchased, and then they Fagopyrum 24
day after treating the larvae with plant powders. Among five spices 0.7g/g 9 38
were grinded to make a fine powder whereas F. esculentum was purchased esculentum
tested, clove showed highest biopesticidal activity against
from the local market in Sakardu.
Tribolium castaneum larvae with 33.3% mortality at the
Combined Bioassay
concentration of 0.7g per gram of semolina at the seventh day of Table 2: Combined synergistic pesticidal effect of spices with
Pesticidal activity of each of five spices and buckwheat was checked as a
treatment. Biopesticidal activity of black cardamom was buckwheat (F. esculentum)
control. Biological assay was performed in combination of each of the five
significantly increased (25% mortality) when it was mixed with
spices with F. esculentum. Five separate petri plates were used for this
buckwheat. It is likely that, powder of clove and mixed powder of Spices/ Plant No. of Concentration Larvae Percentage
purpose and each of the five petri plates contain 0.35g of a spices along with
black cardamom and buckwheat may be used as biopesticides to Insects (g/g of diet) Died Mortality
0.35g of buckwheat per gram of semolina. The whole experiment was
control stored grain pest (Tribolium castaneum). Used in
performed in triplicates. 8 larvae were placed in plate. In each combination
of dose, 24 larvae were used in total. The %age combined mortality after
seven days was calculated and compared with the individual mortality rates of Clove 24 0.7g/g 3 12.5
Background larvae.
Cinnamon 24 0.7g/g 0 0
Annual post-harvest losses of stored grain products including Black 24
wheat due to pests, microbial deterioration and other factors range 0.7g/g 6 25
Cardamom
from 10-20% (Phillips and Throne, 2010). Among the stored grain
pests, Tribolium castaneum is considered to be associated with Green 24
0.7g/g 1 4.2
decreasing both quantity as well as quality of stored and milled Cardamom
food products throughout the world. . The major weapons against Dried Ginger 24 0.7g/g 0 0
Tribolium castaneum are synthetic pesticides such as methyl
bromide and phosphine. These chemical insecticides have
undesirable side effects including environmental pollution, effects Conclusions
on non-target species, emergence of pest resistance and direct toxic
effects to users (Isman, 2006). Therefore, there is a need to search
and develop plant-based bio-pesticides in order to control the pests
In the light of above research it was concluded that Tribolium
Extracts and essential oils of the various plants containing
castaneum is a one of the most destructive pest of different stored
terpenes, flavonoids and aromatic compounds have already been
products especially for food grains For the elimination of this pest
tested against various pests (Ogendo et al., 2008). Local spices like
and to increase the storage life of various stored grain products,
Syzygium aromaticum (clove), Amomum costatum (black
combined effect of local spices (clove, cinnamon, black cardamom,
cardamom), Elettaria cardamomum (green cardamom),
green cardamom and dried ginger) with Fagopyrum esculentum was
Cinnamomum verum (cinnamon), Zingiber officinale (dried
applied against Tribolium castaneum. Mortality rate was high at
ginger) and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) have antibacterial Life Cycle of Tribolium castaneum higher concentration (0.7g/g) and decreased with the passage of
and pesticidal potential.
time. These kind of biopesticides are useful to control these pests
due their various benefits.
Objectives Results
Recommendations
Clove has the highest pesticidal activity but its pesticidal activity was ➢As these biopesticides have no residual effect and nontoxic to
➢Rearing and culturing of Tribolium castaneum to get larvae and
significantly reduced when it was combined with buckwheat (Table 1). % human so the development of pesticide resistance crops and
adults for biotoxicity assay.
mortality for the clove is 33% alone and 12.5% when it was combined with genetically modified plants can be progressed in future.
➢To check the combined insecticidal effect of each of the five
buckwheat. In contrast, % mortality of Tribolium castaneum larvae was ➢The powder of spices and buckwheat used in this study against T.
spices (Syzygium aromaticum, Amomum costatum, Elettaria
significantly increased when they were exposed to combined doses of black castaneum so it is also recommended that other products of these
cardamomum, Cinnamomum verum and Zingiber officinale) with
cardamom and buckwheat (Table 2). % mortality of Tribolium castaneum plants like oil and rhizome or leaf extracts can be used against other
buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum).
larvae for black cardamom was tremendously enhanced from 0% to 25% stored product pests.
when it was mixed with F. esculentum.

Presented in International Symposium on Advances in Molecular Biology of Plants and Health Sciences (19-21 December 2018) at Centre of Excellence
in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore - Pakistan