Metabolomics to target insecticidal compounds of Cenostigma pluviosum var. peltophoroides against Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda is the most prevalent plague in crops associated with a reduction in corn production by up to 34%. Pesticides have been used to reduce this plague, but they cause several environmental problems including resistance, ecological imbalance, and toxicity to the final consumer. The use of plant extracts has been an effective manner of eradicating this plague from crop plantations. In this sense, the hexane, EtOAc, and EtOH/H₂O fractions from EtOH extract from different parts of Cenostigma pluviosum were investigated against this fall armyworm leading to a percentage of mortality around 96% in the larval phase for the fraction EtOAc of fruits (FrEA). The fractions were analysed in HPLC-ESI-HRMS for dereplication. Additionally, using multivariate statistical analysis permitted the development of an O2PLS-DA method based on the chemical constitution of fractions shedding light on promising constituents to the insecticidal activity of C. pluviosum against the Spodoptera frugiperda.