Description

Resistance development to currently marketed pesticides and drugs is now a serious concern for public health and agricultural activities. To develop novel and eco-friendly products, the scientific community has been proving that plants produce an arsenal of chemical substances, also known as secondary metabolites, with a wide range of ecological functions. Among the latter, the biochemical defense against insects and other organisms is one of the most important strategies pursued by plants. Major examples represented by alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, phenolics and their derivatives, most of them being compartmentalized in specialized plant structures such as trichomes, glands, channels, pockets and other structures, where they are temporarily stored waiting to be able to act against plant enemies. These allelochemicals act through diverse modes of action and impact on the behavioral and physiological processes inside the target organisms.

Because of the deleterious effects on environment and human health, along with the insurgence of resistance in insects and parasites, produced by synthetic compounds, plant secondary metabolites are currently recognized as a complementary and alternative strategy to manage populations of vectors, pests and pathogens in the near future. In this scenario, this Research Topic aims at collecting Original Research Articles and Reviews on the cutting edge advancements regarding plant secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, phenolic compounds and terpenoids, against several targets, such as agricultural pests, arthropod vectors and other parasites of public health importance. In particular, the Research Topic welcomes the following type of studies on secondary metabolites:
- Chemical characterization, structure elucidation and bioactivity of secondary metabolites
- Behavioral and physiological studies testing secondary metabolites at sub-lethal doses
- Elucidation of the mechanism of action of secondary metabolites, together with structure-activity relationships
- Studies on synergistic toxicity effects triggered by mixtures of plant constituents
- Acute and chronic toxicological effects on non-target organisms
- Transmission blocking effects
- Development of insecticidal and parasiticidal formulations to be used in the “real world”
- Regulatory aspects, future trends and application of secondary metabolites as biopesticides and parasiticidal agents
- Nanoformulation and microencapsulation studies