Promising Nutritional Values of Anethum graveolens Used as a Flavourful Herb for Dishes and Bioinsecticidal Agent Against Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann): Attractancy and Lethality

Abstract

The current study aimed to delve into the nutritional value and insecticidal effect associated with Anethum graveolens (dill) against Ceratitis capitata. Characterisation of Anethum phytocompounds was carried out using GC/MS spectra. Chromatographic analysis uncovered that Anethum is rich in bioactive phytochemicals, including apiol, eucalyptol, α-tujene and (+)-2-bornanone. Dill exhibited significant antioxidant activity, ranking closely behind ascorbic acid with IC50 values of 27.5 μg/mL and displayed optimal inhibition zones comparable to those seen with standard antibacterial agents. Recent findings indicate a dose-dependent relationship regarding the repellency effects of Anethum essential oil. When agricultural pests were treated with a low concentration (0.000079 μL/cm²) of dill oil, a repellency percentage (RP) value of −20 was observed. Additionally, at concentrations of 0.000159 and 0.000238 μL/cm², the volatile oil demonstrated repellency values of −40 and −53, respectively. The lethal time (LT95) for Anethum (0.0000597 μL/cm²) was approximately 7.215 h. It displayed a significant toxic effect, with a median lethal time (LT50) of 4.748 h at a concentration of 0.0000398 μL/cm² and 3.174 h at 0.0000597 μL/cm². In addition, a molecular docking approach using the receptor: ‘medfly Odorant Binding Protein CcapOBP22/CcapOBP69a’(pdb: 6hhe) related to ‘Ceratitis capitata’ was performed and significant results were obtained, especially with ‘3-Cyclohexene-1-ethanol, β,4-dimethyl-’ and ‘Phenol, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)-’.