Detection of cantharidin-related compounds in Mylabris impressa (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

Abstract

Cantharidin is mainly found in the beetle families Meloidae and Oedemeridae (Insecta: Coleoptera) which are the natural producers of this terpene anhydride. Most studies to date have focused on cantharidin distribution in blister beetles, with few reports on recently found cantharidin-related compounds (CRCs). Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the present work reported cantharidin and two CRCs, palasonin and cantharidinimide from Mylabris impressa stillata (Baudi, 1878) which was collected from Toyserkan county, Hamedan Province, Iran. Ionization provided mass spectra with characteristic fragments of cantharidin at m/z 96 and 128, demethylcantharidin at m/z 82 and 114, and cantharidinimide at m/z 70, 96 and 127. This is the first time that cantharidin and the two CRCs are found in the genus Mylabris which in turn is new to the field of venomous insects

Cantharidin content in two Mediterranean species of blister beetles, Lydus trimaculatus and Mylabris variabilis (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

“…; Blodgett & Denke ). In contrast, apart from some pioneering approaches (reported in Beauregard ), few investigations have been undertaken on other species, with sparse data on CA content only available for few other members of the subfamily Meloinae, primarily collected in Iran, South Africa (Nikbakhtzadeh & Tirgari ; Nikbakhtzadeh & Ebrahimi ; Mebs et al . ; Nikbakhtzadeh et al .…”

Analysis of cantharidin in false blister beetles (Coleoptera: Oedemeridae) by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

“…The proposed method is also a good alternative for classical solvent extraction methods [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Compared to classical liquid-liquid method, the HS-SPME method was easier to perform, faster and more efficient, consumed no solvent, and suffered much less contamination from the other compounds in the living tissues.…”

“…Classical methods of analyzing cantharidin involve extraction by solvents. Liquid-liquid extraction coupled to gas chromatography has been the method used for cantharidine determination [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. To the best of our knowledge; there is no report which used SPME for the analyzing of cantharidin.…”

Bioactive component, cantharidin from Mylabris cichorii and its antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma

“…Cantharidin, a vesicant produced by beetles in the order Coleoptera, has a long history in both folk and traditional medicine. Cantharidin has been reported to produce cytotoxic effects in a number of human cancer cell lines and primary cancer cells (Huan et al 2006;Nikbakhtzadeh and Ebrahimi 2007;Rauh et al 2007). The use of cantharidin and its analogs in cancer therapy has been widely suggested (Cirrito and Bergstein 2008).…”