Research on food-grade botanical repellents for stored-product pests

Author of the article:SUN Xue-Ke1** WANG Xin-Yu2 LI Jian1 WANG Yao-Lin1 ZHANG Yu-Yan1 YIN Shuang-Yi1 HAO Chen-Yi1 HUANG Jin-Shan1 YE Qing-Mei1 LI Shao-Jie1 DOU Hong-Qi1 WANG Zheng-Yan2*** GU Zi-Qiang1,3***

Author's Workplace：1. Dongguan Xu Ji Food Co., Ltd., Dongguan 523000, China; 2. School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China; 3. College of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China

Key Words：stored-product pest; botanical chemical; food-grade repellent; sustained-release carrier

Abstract：[Aim] To develop effective food-grade botanical repellents for stored-product pests. [Methods] The repellency of 29 plant-derived compounds to Sitophilus zeamais, Tribolium castaneum, Cryptolestes ferrugineus, and Plodia interpunctella was determined at dosages of 2.5, 0.25, 0.025, and 0.0025 μL/cm². The effectiveness of using agar and sodium alginate as sustained-release carriers for these repellents was also determined. [Results] Different compounds were repellent to specific pests in a dose-dependent manner. Among the 29 plant-derived compounds tested, cinnamaldehyde and citronellol were the most repellent to adult T. castaneum. Citronellal, ethyl cinnamate, p-anisaldehyde, and carvacrol were the most repellent to adult C. ferrugineus, whereas cinnamaldehyde was the most repellent to adult S. zeamais and larval P. interpunctella. A cinnamaldehyde-citronellol mixture embedded in agar and sodium alginate retained a certain degree of repellency after 15 days; the repellents remained effective longer when combined with the agar formulation than with the sodium alginate formulation. [Conclusion] Repellents prepared from food-grade, plant-derived compounds and agar have considerable potential for reducing the damage to stored food products caused by insect pests.