Phytochemical Analysis of Methanolic Extracts of Artemisia absinthium L. 1753 (Asteraceae), Juniperus phoenicea L., and Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Mast, 1892 (Cupressaceae) and evaluation of their biological activity for stored grain protection

Research is increasingly focused on identifying alternatives to the use of chemicals for the management of pests in stored grains. In this context, we tested the insecticidal and antifungal activities of methanolic extracts of Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae), and two Cupressaceae species, namely Juniperus phoenicea L. and Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Mast., collected in the north of Algeria, against Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera, Curculionidea)-a pest of primary infestation of stored grains-and Fusarium sp., mycotoxigenic fungi. The extracts were analyzed by UPLC-PDA-MS. The extraction yield was in the range of 11-21 %. UPLC chromatographic data showed the presence of several phenolic acids, flavonoid glycosides, and flavonoid aglycones. Insecticidal activity was evaluated by means of contact toxicity test, which showed that all three extracts were highly effective. Pest mortality was recorded after 24 h for A. absinthium. The LC50 results revealed that the most toxic extract was that of A. absinthium (15.53 mg/cm(2)), followed by that of J. phoenicea (22.14 mg/cm(2)), and T. articulata (24.05 mg/cm(2)). The antifungal activities of these extracts were evaluated using the poisonous medium technique on potato dextrose agar medium. All three extracts reduced the growth of Fusarium culmorum and F. graminearum under in vitro conditions. T. articulata had the greatest inhibitory effect (55.8 %) on mycelial growth of the former. Our results reveal the potential of plant methanolic extracts to control pests common to stored grains.