Venoms with oral toxicity towards insects.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Entomology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Animal venoms represent a largely untapped resource for novel bioactive compounds.
• The development of new insecticides is crucial due to increasing pest resistance and environmental concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To screen a diverse collection of animal venoms for oral insecticidal activity.
• To identify specific venoms with high toxicity against key insect pests.
• To compare the efficacy of potent venoms via oral and injection routes in Drosophila melanogaster.

Main Methods:

• Screening of 82 animal venoms for oral toxicity using larvae of Achroia grisella (Lepidoptera) and Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera).
• Testing adult Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera) for oral toxicity against selected venoms.
• Intraperitoneal injection of the most toxic venoms into adult D. melanogaster to assess route-dependent efficacy.

Main Results:

• Eighteen venoms, primarily from spiders and snakes, exhibited significant oral toxicity against the tested insect models.
• The study identified specific venom sources with high potential for bioinsecticide discovery.
• Comparative administration routes highlighted variations in venom efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Spider and snake venoms are promising sources for developing novel, effective bioinsecticides.
• The identified venoms warrant further investigation for the isolation and characterization of insecticidal components.
• This research provides a foundation for discovering new pest control agents from natural sources.