Phytochemical profiling and insecticidal activity of Moricandia sinaica across growth stages: experimental and molecular docking insights
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural and Life Science University of Blida 1 Blida Algeria
- 2Département de Biologie Appliquée, Laboratoire de Mycologie, de Biotechnologie et de l'Activité Microbienne (LaMyBAM) Université des Frères Mentouri Constantine Algeria
- 3Laboratory of Biological Engineering, Valorization, and Innovation of Agri‐Food Products University of Larbi Ben M'hidi Oum El Bouaghi Algeria
- 4Research Unit of Environmental and Structural Molecular Chemistry University of Constantine (Mentouri) Constantine Algeria
- 5Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Science University of Constantine (Mentouri) Constantine Algeria
- 6Department of Chemistry and Technologies of Drug Sapienza University Rome Italy
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stored food products are highly vulnerable to infestation by insects and mites, resulting in significant postharvest losses worldwide. Plant‐derived bioactive compounds represent promising eco‐friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides. This study investigated the phytochemical composition of Moricandia sinaica at different growth stages and evaluated its insecticidal activity against Plodia interpunctella larvae, complemented by molecular docking analysis.
RESULTS: Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed clear stage‐dependent variations in volatile composition. At the flowering stage, hexahydrofarnesylacetone, 1,8‐cineole, and α‐thujene were predominant, whereas mature plants were characterized mainly by hexahydrofarnesylacetone, α‐pinene, and dihydroactinidiolide. Fatty acid analysis showed that palmitic acid remained the dominant component, although it decreased, while oleic and stearic acids increased at maturity. Insecticidal bioassays showed concentration‐ and time‐related increases in larval mortality against P. interpunctella larvae. Molecular docking suggested that major fatty acids may interact with residues located within the carbohydrate‐recognition region of β‐1,3‐glucan‐binding protein 3 (GNBP3), providing a predictive hypothesis that requires further experimental validation.
CONCLUSION: The results highlight Moricandia sinaica as a promising source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in environmentally friendly pest management strategies for stored products. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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BibTeX
@article{zatout2026phytochemical,
title = {{Phytochemical profiling and insecticidal activity of Moricandia sinaica across growth stages: experimental and molecular docking insights}},
author = {Roukia Zatout and Ouided Benslama and Chaima Zatout and Noreddine Kacem Chaouche and Stefania Garzoli},
journal = {Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1002/jsfa.70956},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.70956},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Phytochemical profiling and insecticidal activity of Moricandia sinaica across growth stages: experimental and molecular docking insights
AU - Roukia Zatout
AU - Ouided Benslama
AU - Chaima Zatout
AU - Noreddine Kacem Chaouche
AU - Stefania Garzoli
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/03
JO - Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
DO - 10.1002/jsfa.70956
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.70956
AB - BACKGROUND: Stored food products are highly vulnerable to infestation by insects and mites, resulting in significant postharvest losses worldwide. Plant‐derived bioactive compounds represent promising eco‐friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides. This study investigated the phytochemical composition of Moricandia sinaica at different growth stages and evaluated its insecticidal activity against Plodia interpunctella larvae, complemented by molecular docking analysis. RESULTS: Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed clear stage‐dependent variations in volatile composition. At the flowering stage, hexahydrofarnesylacetone, 1,8‐cineole, and α‐thujene were predominant, whereas mature plants were characterized mainly by hexahydrofarnesylacetone, α‐pinene, and dihydroactinidiolide. Fatty acid analysis showed that palmitic acid remained the dominant component, although it decreased, while oleic and stearic acids increased at maturity. Insecticidal bioassays showed concentration‐ and time‐related increases in larval mortality against P. interpunctella larvae. Molecular docking suggested that major fatty acids may interact with residues located within the carbohydrate‐recognition region of β‐1,3‐glucan‐binding protein 3 (GNBP3), providing a predictive hypothesis that requires further experimental validation. CONCLUSION: The results highlight Moricandia sinaica as a promising source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in environmentally friendly pest management strategies for stored products. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
SN - 0022-5142
SN - 1097-0010
ER -