Role of phytochemicals and secondary metabolites from Mentha spicata in acetylcholine esterase inhibition for effective pest control of Tetranychus urticae Koch

ABSTRACTThe two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) poses a significant threat to global food production. However, the environmental risks associated with synthetic pesticides have necessitated the exploration of eco-friendly alternatives. Plant-based biopesticides utilizing secondary metabolites have emerged as promising strategies for pest management. This study aimed to extract and characterize Mentha spicata L. through biochemical analyses, GC-MS, and LC-QTOF-MS. The extract’s acaricidal, oviposition deterrence, and repellent properties were evaluated against Tetranychus urticae, revealing a pronounced time- and concentration-dependent effect over 96 hours, with an LC50 of 3 µg/mL. Furthermore, the impact of the extract on plant growth was assessed using tomato plants, demonstrating an enhancement in growth rate based on photosynthesis, weight, and oxidative stress markers analyses. Polyphenolics and terpenoids in M. spicata were identified as contributors to its biological activities, including antioxidant and free-radical scavenging properties. Molecular docking experiments targeting acetylcholine esterase (AChE) were conducted on the identified phytocompounds, indicating a high affinity for δ-3-Carene and Isoferuloyl C1 glucuronide. The pesticidal effects of these compounds were attributed to their competitive and synergistic inhibition of AChE. These findings highlight the potential of plant extracts, specifically M. spicata, as effective biopesticides in future pest control strategies. The utilization of secondary metabolites from plant sources offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to combatting T. urticae infestations.KEYWORDS: Two-spotted spider miteacaricidalbiopesticideplant-based alternativessustainable pest controlMolecular dockingeco-friendly alternatives AcknowledgmentsThe authors thank the infrastructure of EGE-MATAL (Ege University, Izmir, Turkey) for their help in performing the GC-MS and LC-QTOF-MS analysis.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data availability statementData are made available as supplementary material attached to this manuscript. Other raw data can be obtained from the corresponding author under reasonable request.CRedIT author statementTM: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation. LG: Conceptualization, Methodology, Resources, Investigation. HM: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Formal analysis, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing, Visualization. KT: Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – Original Draft, Visualization. YK: Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – Original Draft, Visualization. LYA: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Resources, Writing – Review & Editing, Supervision. FZ: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Resources, Writing – Review & Editing, Supervision, Project administration.Supplementary materialSupplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01647954.2023.2275754Additional informationFundingThe study did not receive any specific funding.