Effect of Teucrium polium (Lamiaceae) essential oil on digestive enzyme activities and energy reserves of Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

In the current study, the effects of Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae) essential oil (Tp EO) and α- pinene as a major component of this essential oil, were tested against Ephestia kuehniella Z. (Lep.: Pyralidae) for larvicidal activity, digestive enzymes and non-enzymatic (amount of macromolecules) responses. Concentrations of 4.91 and 10.66 µl/ml were determined as LC50 values for Tp EO and α- pinene, respectively. The activities of α-amylase, triacylglycerol lipase, general protease, serine proteases (trypsin and chymotrypsin-like), carboxy- and aminopeptidases significantly decreased when the larvae fed on the diet supplemented with Tp EO and α-pinene but significant increases were observed in elastase-like proteinase. The amount of protein, glycogen and triglyceride decreased in the treated larvae by both treatments. The results showed that the digestive enzymes and non enzymatic activities of the treated larvae were decreased compared to the control. Therefore, Tp EO and α-pinene are suggested as botanicals for controlling flour moth larvae.