Necrophagous Diptera are the most important group of insects used for the purposes of forensic entomology. While the most utilized fly family in this context is the family Calliphoridae, there are several other families that can be of great importance during real-case investigations. This article analyzes the necrophagous flies of all families recorded from 160 real cases in Switzerland between 1993 and 2007. A total of 56 species belonging to 16 families was identified with Calliphoridae being the most dominant family (90.63% of all cases), followed by Muscidae (26.25%), Sarcophagidae (19.38%), Phoridae (14.38%), and Fanniidae (12.50%). For specimens that were difficult to identify morphologically, a new PCR primer has been specifically designed for the amplification of a short, informative COI barcode in degraded museum samples of forensically important Diptera taxa. The richest family in terms of species was the family Muscidae with 16 species. Fannia fuscula (Fallen) and Fannia monilis (Haliday) were recorded from human cadavers for the first time. The study highlights the importance of different fly families in forensic investigation, enhancing our comprehension of their prevalence and dispersion in real cases in Central Europe. The results pave the way for additional exploration, especially regarding the involvement of less frequently observed species in forensic entomology.
- MeSH
- Calliphoridae MeSH
- Diptera * MeSH
- Entomology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Muscidae * MeSH
- Sarcophagidae * MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
- Geographicals
- Switzerland MeSH
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emergence in commensal and pathogenic bacteria is a global health issue. House flies (Musca domestica) are considered as biological and mechanical vectors for pathogens causing nosocomial infections, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and the role of temperature on the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA in house flies in a hospital environment have not been studied. A total of 400 house flies were collected in winter and summer from four hospital-associated areas in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Detection of S. aureus and MRSA in flies was done by culturing, staining, and PCR methods targeting nuc and mec genes (mecA and mecC), respectively. Disc diffusion test was used to detect resistance phenotype against six antimicrobials. Logistic regression models were constructed to assess the effect of temperature on the frequency of antimicrobial resistance, and on the presence of the nuc and mecA genes, and location of samples in and around a hospital environment. By PCR, S. aureus was detected in 208 (52%) samples. High frequencies of resistance (≥ 80% of isolates) to amoxicillin, azithromycin, and oxacillin were observed by disk diffusion test. Increase in temperature had a positive effect on the occurrence of S. aureus and MRSA isolates as well as on their resistance to individual and multiple antimicrobials. Among the study areas, hospital premises had increased odds of having S. aureus. Increased temperature of summer significantly increased the occurrence of MRSA in house flies in and around the hospital environment, which might pose a human and animal health risk.
- MeSH
- Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology therapeutic use MeSH
- Bacterial Proteins MeSH
- Diptera * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus * genetics MeSH
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
- Houseflies * MeSH
- Hospitals MeSH
- Penicillin-Binding Proteins MeSH
- Methicillin Resistance MeSH
- Seasons MeSH
- Staphylococcal Infections * drug therapy veterinary MeSH
- Staphylococcus aureus genetics MeSH
- Temperature MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Coumarin (2H-1-benzopyran-2-one) is a phenolic compound derived from the shikimate pathway and synthesized by various medicinal and aromatic plants as parent molecule of a large group of secondary metabolites, namely coumarins. Its main utilization is as fixative in perfumes and flavour enhancer. Given its role as phytoalexin and phagodepression activity, herein we evaluated for the first time its efficacy against several insect species: the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, the moth Spodoptera littoralis, the housefly, Musca domestica and the filariasis vector Culex quinquefasciatus. Two non-target species were also included in our toxicity evaluation experiments: the ladybug Harmonia axyridis and the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Results highlighted remarkable selectivity of coumarin, being highly toxic to M. persicae aphids (LC50(90) values of 1.3(1.9) mg L-1) and friendly to natural enemies of aphids as well as soil invertebrates.
- MeSH
- Culex drug effects MeSH
- Inhibitory Concentration 50 MeSH
- Insecticides toxicity MeSH
- Coumarins toxicity MeSH
- Larva drug effects MeSH
- Houseflies drug effects MeSH
- Aphids drug effects MeSH
- Moths drug effects MeSH
- Plant Extracts chemistry MeSH
- Seeds chemistry MeSH
- Spodoptera drug effects MeSH
- Toxicity Tests MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a pathogen harbored by livestock and shed in their feces, which serves as an acquisition source for adult house flies. This study used a green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing strain of Salmonella Typhimurium to assess its acquisition by and survival within house flies, and transmission from and between flies in the presence or absence of cantaloupe. Female house flies were exposed to manure inoculated with either sterile phosphate-buffered saline or GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium for 12 h, then used in four experiments each performed over 24 h. Experiment 1 assessed the survival of GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium within inoculated flies. Experiment 2 determined transmission of GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium from inoculated flies to cantaloupe. Experiment 3 assessed fly acquisition of GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium from inoculated cantaloupe. Experiment 4 evaluated transmission of GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium between inoculated flies and uninoculated flies in the presence and absence of cantaloupe. GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium survived in inoculated flies but bacterial abundance decreased between 0 and 6 h without cantaloupe present and between 0 and 6 h and 6 and 24 h with cantaloupe present. Uninoculated flies acquired GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium from inoculated cantaloupe and bacterial abundance increased in cantaloupe and flies from 6 to 24 h. More uninoculated flies exposed to inoculated flies acquired GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium when cantaloupe was present than when absent. We infer that the presence of a shared food source facilitated the transfer of GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium from inoculated to uninoculated flies. Our study demonstrated that house flies acquired, harbored, and excreted viable GFP-Salmonella Typhimurium and transferred bacteria to food and each other. Understanding the dynamics of bacterial acquisition and transmission of bacteria between flies and food helps in assessing the risk flies pose to food safety and human health.
- MeSH
- Cucumis melo microbiology MeSH
- Food Contamination analysis MeSH
- Houseflies microbiology MeSH
- Food Microbiology methods MeSH
- Salmonella typhimurium pathogenicity MeSH
- Green Fluorescent Proteins metabolism MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
Carlina acaulis (Compositae) is traditionally used for food and medicinal purposes in central and southern Europe. Its root essential oil (EO), mainly composed by carlina oxide, is included in the BELFRIT botanical list of food supplements. It is also recognized as a potent mosquito larvicide. It is matter of concern whether this EO could be endowed with intrinsic toxicity to limit its use on a food level. Focusing on the insecticidal activity of this EO, we investigated the acute toxicity and sublethal effects on Musca domestica. In topical assays, the EO was extremely effective (LD50 = 2.74 and 5.96 μg fly-1, on males and females, respectively). The exposure to a sublethal dose (LD30) led to significant reductions of female longevity (LT50 = 6.7-9.0 days vs. control LT50 = 12.9-13.7 days). Treated females laid 2.5 times fewer eggs over control ones. F1 vitality decreased: F1 larvae and pupae showed high mortality, 2-4-fold higher over the control. The EO also showed high cytotoxicity on normal human fibroblasts (NHF-A12, IC50 = 9.4-14.2 μg mL-1 after 6-48 h). Overall, our findings support the employ of this EO for developing botanical insecticides. At the same time, they encourage food safety authorities to perform a full toxicological assessment for possible restrictions at food level.
- MeSH
- Cell Line MeSH
- Insecticides toxicity MeSH
- Plant Roots chemistry MeSH
- Pupa drug effects MeSH
- Larva drug effects MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Magnoliopsida chemistry MeSH
- Houseflies drug effects MeSH
- Oils, Volatile toxicity MeSH
- Plant Oils toxicity MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The use of Hazomalania voyronii, popularly known as hazomalana, to repel mosquitoes and resist against insect attacks is handed down from generation to generation in Madagascar. In the present study, we investigated the ability of the essential oils (EOs) obtained from the stem wood, fresh and dry bark of H. voyronii to keep important mosquito vectors (Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus) away, as well as their toxicity on three insect species of agricultural and public health importance (Cx. quinquefasciatus, Musca domestica and Spodoptera littoralis). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hydrodistillation was used to obtain EOs from stem wood, fresh and dry bark. The chemical compositions were achieved by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Toxicity assays using stem wood and bark EOs were performed on larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus and S. littoralis, and adults of M. domestica by WHO and topical application methods, respectively. Mosquito repellent activity of the most effective EO, i.e. the bark one, was determined on human volunteers by arm-in-cage tests, and results were compared with that of the commercial repellent N,N-ddiethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). RESULTS: The H. voyronii EOs were characterized by oxygenated monoterpenes with perilla aldehyde (30.9-47.9%) and 1,8-cineole (19.7-33.2%) as the main constituents. The fresh and dry bark EOs were the most active on Cx. quinquefasciatus and S. littoralis larvae, respectively, with LC50/LD50 of 65.5 mg L-1, and 50.5 μg larva-1; the EOs from wood and fresh bark displayed the highest toxicity on M. domestica (LD50 values 60.8 and 65.8 μg adult-1, respectively). Repellence assay revealed an almost complete protection (>80%) from both mosquito species for 30 min when pure fresh bark EO was applied on the volunteers' arm, while DEET 10% repelled >80% of the mosquitoes up to 120 min from application. CONCLUSION: The traditional use of the bark EO to repel insects has been demonstrated although an extended-release formulation based on H. voyronii EOs is needed to increase the repellent effect over time. A wide spectrum of insecticidal activity has been provided as well, suggesting a possible use of H. voyronii EOs in the fabrication of green repellents and insecticides useful to control mosquito vectors and agricultural pests.
- MeSH
- Aedes drug effects growth & development MeSH
- Time Factors MeSH
- Culex drug effects embryology MeSH
- DEET pharmacology MeSH
- Wood * chemistry MeSH
- Hernandiaceae * chemistry MeSH
- Plant Bark * chemistry MeSH
- Larva drug effects growth & development MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mosquito Control * MeSH
- Houseflies drug effects growth & development MeSH
- Oils, Volatile isolation & purification pharmacology MeSH
- Plant Oils isolation & purification pharmacology MeSH
- Insect Repellents isolation & purification pharmacology MeSH
- Spodoptera drug effects embryology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Comparative Study MeSH
Thymus alternans and Teucrium montanum subsp. jailae are medicinal and aromatic plants, typical of Slovakian flora, producing bioactive essential oils. In the present study, we evaluated the insecticidal potential of the essential oils, obtained by hydrodistillation from the plant aerial parts and analysed by GC-MS, as insecticidal agents. For the purpose, they were assayed against three insect species acting as agricultural pests or vectors of medical relevance, such as the common housefly, Musca domestica L., the lymphatic filariasis vector, Culex quinquefasciatus and the Egyptian cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis; α-cypermethrin was tested as positive control. The two essential oils exhibited a different chemical profile, with monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes being the main fractions in the essential oils from Th. alternans and T. montanum subsp. jailae, respectively. Insecticidal tests showed that the T. montanum essential oil was effective against S. littoralis (LD50(90) = 56.7 (170.0) μg larva-1) and Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae (LC50(90) = 180.5 (268.7) mg L-1), whereas T. alternans essential oil displayed good toxicity against M. domestica adults (LD50(90) = 103.7 (223.9) μg adult-1). Overall, our results add useful knowledge about the potential of Slovakian flora as a source of botanicals for the eco-friendly management of insect pests and vectors.
- MeSH
- Culex drug effects metabolism MeSH
- Insecticides analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Larva drug effects metabolism MeSH
- Plants, Medicinal chemistry MeSH
- Monoterpenes analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Houseflies drug effects metabolism MeSH
- Oils, Volatile analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Teucrium chemistry MeSH
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry MeSH
- Pyrethrins analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Sesquiterpenes analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Spodoptera drug effects metabolism MeSH
- Thymus Plant chemistry MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Slovakia MeSH
Marsh rosemary (Ledum palustre, Ericaceae) has been widely used in the traditional medicine of various regions worldwide, and as insect repellent. Little is known on its essential oil insecticidal potential. This study explored the insecticidal effects of the essential oil obtained from L. palustre growing in Poland on selected insect pests and vectors. GC-MS analysis evidenced an uncommon chemotype characterized by ascaridole (35.3% as sum of cis-ascaridole and isoascaridole) and p-cymene (25.5%). The essential oil was effective against Culex quinquefasciatus, Spodoptera littoralis and Musca domestica, showing LC50/LD50 of 66.6 mg L-1, 117.2 μg larva-1 and 61.4 μg adult-1, respectively. It was not toxic to non-target Eisenia fetida earthworms and moderately toxic to Daphnia magna microcrustaceans, over the positive control α-cypermethrin. The essential oil cytotoxicity on human keratinocytes and fibroblasts showed high IC50 values (71.3 and 84.4 μg mL-1, respectively). Comet assay data highlighted no DNA damages. Based on our findings, this essential oil, characterized by the ascaridole/p-cymene chemotype, could be a candidate for the formulation of botanical insecticides; large-scale production of green insecticides by this rare species may be assured by ex situ cultivation and biotechnological techniques.
- MeSH
- Cell Line MeSH
- Culex drug effects MeSH
- Culicidae drug effects MeSH
- Cymenes analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Daphnia drug effects MeSH
- Insecticides analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Keratinocytes cytology drug effects MeSH
- Mosquito Vectors drug effects MeSH
- Comet Assay MeSH
- Larva drug effects MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Cyclohexane Monoterpenes analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Houseflies drug effects MeSH
- Moths drug effects MeSH
- Oils, Volatile analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Oligochaeta drug effects MeSH
- Peroxides analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Pyrethrins analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Insect Repellents analysis pharmacology MeSH
- Rosmarinus chemistry MeSH
- Spodoptera drug effects MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Poland MeSH
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen (Compositae), well-known as jambú, is a medicinal herb of pungent taste, native to Brazil but cultivated in different parts of the world due to its aromatic and pharmacological properties. In folk medicine, the plant has been used against parasites and to combat insects and mites. No data are available on the insecticidal activity of jambú essential oil. AIM OF THE STUDY: To test the jambú essential oil obtained from A. oleracea cultivated in central Italy against the filariasis vector, Culex quinquefasciatus, the Egyptian cotton worm, Spodoptera littoralis, and the housefly, Musca domestica. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical composition of the essential oil was achieved by GC-FID and GC-MS analyses. Acute toxicity experiments were conducted on larvae of the filariasis vector C. quinquefasciatus and S. littoralis and adults of M. domestica to determine the LC50(LD50) and LC90(LD90) values of the oil, along with the positive control, α-cypermethrin. RESULTS: (E)-caryophyllene (20.8%), β-pinene (17.3%), myrcene (17.1%) and caryophyllene oxide (10.0%) were the major volatile constituents. Interestingly, the oil contained little amounts (3.9%) of the insecticidal spilanthol. Jambú essential oil exerted relevant effects on C. quinquefasciatus (LC50 = 42.2 mg L-1, LC90 = 73.6 mg L-1) and S. littoralis 3rd instar larvae (LD50 = 68.1 µg larva-1, LD90 = 132.1 µg larva-1). High acute toxicity was also detected testing the jambú oil against adult females of M. domestica, achieving a LD50 value of 44.3 µg adult-1 and a LD90 value of 87.5 µg adult-1. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together our data support the traditional use of jambú as an insecticidal agent and represent the scientific basis for the industrial exploitation of the essential oil in the fabrication of green insecticides.
- MeSH
- Asteraceae * MeSH
- Culex drug effects MeSH
- Filariasis MeSH
- Insecticides pharmacology MeSH
- Mosquito Vectors drug effects MeSH
- Larva drug effects MeSH
- Lethal Dose 50 MeSH
- Houseflies drug effects MeSH
- Moths drug effects MeSH
- Oils, Volatile pharmacology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Italy MeSH
Every year Chile exports about 2000 tons of boldo folium (Peumus boldus), which is used around the world as a traditional herbal medicinal product (THMP), mostly to relieve gastrointestinal disorders. This biomass may be a resource for the agrochemical industry to manufacture botanical insecticides. In this regard, the insecticidal potential of boldo has been poorly investigated. In the present work, hydrodistillation of a commercial boldo folium gave 1.5% (w/w) of a yellowish essential oil (boldo essential oil, BEO) containing 1,8-cineole (20.7%), p-cymene (18.5%), limonene (9.1%), ascaridole (9.1%) and β-phellandrene (6.4%) as the main constituents, as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). NMR analysis allowed us to determine that ascaridole was mainly represented by the cis-isomer. BEO was toxic to larvae of the filariasis vector Culex quinquefasciatus and adults of the housefly Musca domestica, showing LC50/LD50 values of 67.9 mg·L-1 and 98.5 µg·adult-1, respectively. On the other hand, lower insecticidal activity was observed against larvae of the moth pest Spodoptera littoralis (LD50 of 268.9 µg·larva-1). It is worth noting that, when tested at LC90 concentration, BEO was significantly less toxic to aquatic microcrustacean Daphnia magna than the conventional insecticide α-cypermethrin. Finally, in the attempt to explore the BEO mode of action, we tested it for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory properties using the Ellman method, obtaining negligible effects (IC50 = 0.45 mg·mL-1). Taken together, these results gave new insights into the potential of BEO as a future ingredient of botanical insecticides.
- MeSH
- Culex drug effects MeSH
- Cyclohexenes chemistry MeSH
- Daphnia drug effects MeSH
- Insecticides chemistry pharmacology MeSH
- Mosquito Vectors drug effects MeSH
- Larva drug effects MeSH
- Lethal Dose 50 MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Monoterpenes chemistry MeSH
- Houseflies drug effects MeSH
- Moths drug effects MeSH
- Oils, Volatile chemistry pharmacology MeSH
- Peroxides chemistry MeSH
- Peumus chemistry MeSH
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry MeSH
- Pyrethrins chemistry MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
