Larvicidal Activity against Spodoptera frugiperda of some Constituents from two Diospyros Species. In silico Pesticide‐likeness Properties, Acetylcholinesterase Activity and Molecular Docking

Abstract

This report informs for the first time the chemical constituents of Diospyros xolocotzii and Diospyros digyna, the pesticidal and the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition potential of some compounds calculated by in silico approaches, the larvicidal activity against Spodoptera frugiperda of available compounds, the AChE inhibition of selected compounds, and the results of the molecular docking of the most active ones with this receptor. From the aerial parts of D.xolocotzii were isolated pentacyclic triterpenes (1‐4, 6, 10, 11‐13), phytosterols (15‐17), and isodiospyrin (18), whereas the analysis of aerial parts of D. digyna conducted to the isolation of pentacyclic triterpenes (4, 5, 7‐9, 11‐14), (4S)‐shinanolone (19), and scopoletin (20). For comparison purposes, origanal (21) was chemically prepared from 11. The in silico analysis showed that the tested compounds have pesticide potential. The larvicidal activities of 11 > 13 > 12 indicated that the increase of the oxidation degree at C‐28 increases their bioactivity. Compounds 11 and 21 presented the higher inhibition in the acetylcholinesterase assay, and the higher binding energies, and interactions with AChE by molecular docking. Both Diospyros species are sources of triterpenes with pesticidal potential and the molecular changes in lupane triterpenes correlate with the observed bioactivity and molecular docking.