Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Behav Ecol. 2022 Aug 20;33(6):1107-1114. doi: 10.1093/beheco/arac076. 
eCollection 2022 Nov-Dec.

Chemical footprints mediate habitat selection in co-occurring aphids.

Porras MF(1), McCartney N(1), Raspotnig G(2), Rajotte EG(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 
USA.
(2)Institute of Biology, Karl-Franzens University, Universitaetsplatz, Graz, 
Austria.

Habitat selection is a critical process that shapes the spatial distribution of 
species at local and regional scales. The mechanisms underlying habitat 
preference rely on environmental factors, species traits, and ecological 
interactions with other species. Here, we examined spatial segregation between 
two co-occurring aphid species (Rhopalosiphum maidis and R. padi) on wheat 
plants. We hypothesized that spatial segregation between these aphid species was 
mediated by aphid cuticular compounds left as chemical "footprints" on plant 
surfaces. Combining field and laboratory experiments, we first examined how 
plant microsites alter fitness by measuring the fecundity of each species. Next, 
we tested whether intra- and interspecific pre-inhabitation modified habitat 
selection in both aphid species. Both aphid species preferred and exhibited 
higher fecundity on wheat stems versus leaves. Laboratory trials showed that R. 
maidis pre-inhabitation altered R. padi spatial preference. By gas 
chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and bioassays testing the effects of 
aphid density and footprint extracts, we found a density-dependent response, 
with R. padi avoiding locations previously inhabited by R. maidis. The chemical 
analysis of footprint crude extracts revealed a highly abundant compound, 
1-hexacosanol, and when presented in the synthetic form, also elicited R. padi 
displacement. Altogether, it indicated that R. maidis footprints altered R. padi 
habitat selection with cuticular compounds playing a relevant role in the 
habitat selection process in co-occurring aphid species.

© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the 
International Society for Behavioral Ecology.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac076
PMCID: PMC9735235
PMID: 36518632


2. Parasitol Int. 2023 Feb;92:102688. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102688. Epub
2022  Oct 10.

Antifeedant and larvicidal activity of bioactive compounds isolated from 
entomopathogenic fungi Penicillium sp. for the control of agricultural and 
medically important insect pest (Spodoptera litura and Culex quinquefasciatus).

Arunthirumeni M(1), Vinitha G(1), Shivakumar MS(2).

Author information:
(1)Molecular Entomology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of 
Biosciences, Periyar University, Salem 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India.
(2)Molecular Entomology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of 
Biosciences, Periyar University, Salem 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic 
address: skentomology@gmail.com.

The use of chemical insecticides in agriculture has posed several challenges to 
environment and ecosystem health. Pesticides of biological origin are considered 
to be suitable for sustainable environment. In the present study bioactive 
compounds from Penicillium sp. was isolated and tested for insecticidal activity 
on Spodoptera litura and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. Ethyl acetate extract of 
Penicillium sp. were characterized using GC-MS and FT-IR analysis. GC-MS 
analysis showed 20 different bioactive compounds namely, Propanoic acid, ethyl 
ester, Acetic Acid, Propyl Ester, Isopentyl Acetate, Acetic Acid, 2-Methylpropyl 
Ester, Behenic alcohol, 1-Hexadecene, 1-Octadecene, 1-Hexacosanol, 
n-Hexadecanoic acid, 1-Tetradecanol, 1-Dodecene, Tetrydamine, and Octadecanoic 
acid. The presence of functional groups such as, chloroalkanes, sulfonates, 
phosphines, amines, carboxylic acid, alkanes, and isocyanates was identified by 
using FTIR. Ethyl acetate extract of Penicillium sp., were tested for larvicidal 
activity on Spodoptera litura and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae showed 
significant larval mortality after 48 h of exposure with LC50: 72.205 mg/ml: 
LC90: 282.783 mg/ml and LC50: 94.701 mg/ml: LC90:475.049 mg/ml respectively. 
High antifeedant activity was observed in 300 μg/ml at 48 h of crude extract 
exposure. The present study concludes that Penicillium sp., secondary 
metabolites are effective for control of Spodoptera litura and Culex 
quinquefasciatus larvae.

Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102688
PMID: 36228969 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors 
declare there is no conflict of interest.


3. Plants (Basel). 2020 Nov 6;9(11):1502. doi: 10.3390/plants9111502.

Changes in Beneficial C-glycosylflavones and Policosanol Content in Wheat and 
Barley Sprouts Subjected to Differential LED Light Conditions.

Muthusamy M(1), Kim JH(1)(2), Kim SH(1), Kim JY(1), Heo JW(3), Lee H(4), Lee 
KS(4), Seo WD(4), Park S(1), Kim JA(1), Lee SI(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Agricultural 
Sciences (NAS), RDA, Jeonju 54874, Korea.
(2)Division of Horticultural Biotechnology, Hankyung National University, 
Anseong 17579, Korea.
(3)Department of Agricultural Engineering, National Institute of Agricultural 
Sciences (NAS), RDA, Jeonju 54874, Korea.
(4)Division of Crop Foundation, National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA, 
Wanju 55365, Korea.

The spectral quality and intensity of light, photoperiodism, and other 
environmental factors have profound impacts on the metabolic composition of 
light-dependent higher plants. Hence, we investigate the effects of fluorescent 
light (96 μmol m-2s-1) and white (100 μmol m-2s-1), blue (100 μmol m-2s-1), and 
red (93 μmol m-2s-1) light-emitting diode (LED) light irradiation on the 
C-glycosylflavone and policosanol contents in young seedlings of wheat and 
barley. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) analyses of 
C-glycosylflavone contents in barley reveal that the saponarin content is 
significantly enhanced under blue LED light irradiation. Under similar 
conditions, isoorientin and isoschaftoside contents are improved in wheat 
seedlings. The contents of these C-glycosylflavones differed along with the 
light quality and growth period. The highest accumulation was observed in 
sprouts after three days under blue LED light irradiation. GC/MS analyses of 
policosanol contents showed that 1-hexacosanol (C26:o-OH) in barley and 
1-octacosanol (C28:o-OH) in wheat seedlings were reduced under LED light 
irradiation, compared to seedlings under fluorescent light conditions. 
Nonetheless, the policosanol contents gradually improved with the extension of 
growth times and treatments, irrespective of the light quality. Additionally, a 
positive correlation was observed between the expression pattern of 
biosynthesis-related genes and the respective metabolite content in barley. This 
study demonstrates that blue LED light irradiation is useful in maximizing the 
C-glycosylflavone content in barley and wheat sprouts.

DOI: 10.3390/plants9111502
PMCID: PMC7694615
PMID: 33172036

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict 
of interest.


4. J Anal Methods Chem. 2018 Feb 1;2018:9143683. doi: 10.1155/2018/9143683. 
eCollection 2018.

Ecological and Phytochemical Studies on Euphorbia retusa (Forssk.) from Egyptian 
Habitat.

Shaaban M(1)(2), Ali M(3), Tala MF(2), Hamed A(4), Hassan AZ(1).

Author information:
(1)Chemistry of Natural Compounds Department, Division of Pharmaceutical 
Industries, National Research Centre, El-Behoos St. 33, Dokki, Cairo 12622, 
Egypt.
(2)Department of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Göttingen, 
Tammannstrasse 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
(3)Plant Ecology and Range Management Department, Desert Research Centre, Cairo, 
Egypt.
(4)Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld 
University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany.

This study deals with the ecology, phytochemistry, and biological activity 
investigation of Euphorbia retusa, belonging to Euphorbiaceae family, obtained 
from Egypt. Ecologically, Euphorbia retusa secretes white sap inhibiting the 
growth of the other species, so Euphorbia retusa is forming complete patches. 
Phytochemical study of the plant was visualized intensively based on its 
extraction with a protic organic solvent, working up and purifying its entire 
bioactive compounds using a series of different chromatographic techniques. A 
broad range of diverse compounds were isolated, namely, 1-hexacosanol (1), 
3β-hydroxy-24-methylene-9,19-cyclolanostane; 24-methylenecycloartanol (2), 
3β-hydroxy-9,19-cyclolanostane; cyclolaudanol (3), 3β,24S-Ergost-5-en-ol (4), 
and methyllinoleate. Additionally, GC-MS analysis of the unpolar fractions 
detected the existence of n-dodecane, methyllaurate, 
6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecan-2-one (5), 6,10-dimethyl-undecan-2-one (6), 
2-methyl-hexadecanal (7), methylpalmitate, methyl-9,12,15-octadecatrienoate (8), 
and n-heneicosane (9). A full assignment for compounds 2 and 3 using 1 and 2 
DNMR was carried out herein for the first time. The antimicrobial activity of 
the strain extract and obtained compounds was studied using a panel of 
pathogenic bacterial strains. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the compounds as well 
as the crude extract was studied against the human cervix carcinoma cell line 
(KB-3-1).

DOI: 10.1155/2018/9143683
PMCID: PMC5816848
PMID: 29484217


5. Nutr Res. 2017 Jul;43:89-99. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.05.013. Epub 2017 May 
26.

Hexacosanol reduces plasma and hepatic cholesterol by activation of 
AMP-activated protein kinase and suppression of sterol regulatory 
element-binding protein-2 in HepG2 and C57BL/6J mice.

Lee JH(1), Jia Y(1), Thach TT(1), Han Y(1), Kim B(1), Wu C(1), Kim Y(1), Seo 
WD(2), Lee SJ(3).

Author information:
(1)Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology for 
BK21 PLUS, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
(2)Department of Functional Crop, National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), 
Rural Development Administration (RDA), Jeonju, 55365, Republic of Korea.
(3)Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology for 
BK21 PLUS, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea. Electronic 
address: junelee@korea.ac.kr.

Policosanols have hypocholesterolemic activity; however, the molecular mechanism 
of the policosanol effects is currently poorly characterized. We hypothesized 
that hexacosanol, a policosanol compound derived from barley sprout, may 
decrease cellular and plasma cholesterol levels; we thus investigated the 
hypocholesterolemic activity and mechanism of hexacosanol on both hepatocytes 
and high-fat-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. The reduction of total cholesterol, 
free cholesterol, and cholesteryl ester concentrations was confirmed in 
hexacosanol-stimulated hepatocytes (-38%, -33%, and -53%, respectively). Plasma, 
hepatic cholesterol concentrations, and hepatic steatosis were significantly 
reduced in high-fat-fed mice orally administered with hexacosanol (0.7 mg/kg 
body weight a day) for 8 weeks compared with those of vehicle-fed control mice 
(-15% and -40%, respectively). Hexacosanol in fact bound to the allosteric 
regulation site of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-β subunit and thus 
activated AMPK that inhibited the activity of 
3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase by inhibitory phosphorylation. 
In addition, activation of AMPK by hexacosanol induced hepatic autophagy 
activity, which could further reduce hepatic lipid accumulation. Alternatively, 
hexacosanol suppressed the nuclear translocation and activation of sterol 
regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP-2), a key transcription factor in 
cholesterol biosynthesis. These results collectively suggest that hexacosanol is 
a major hypocholesterolemic compound in barley sprouts with regulation of AMPK 
activation and SREBP-2 suppression. These suppress 
3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase at both mRNA expression and 
protein activity levels. In conclusion, hexacosanol activates AMPK and hepatic 
autophagy and inhibits SREBP2, resulting in hypocholesterolemic activities and 
improvement of hepatic steatosis.

Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.05.013
PMID: 28676202 [Indexed for MEDLINE]