Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids as Larval Feeding Deterrents for Spruce Budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

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Abstract
Sixth instars of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), were exposed to an ethanol extract of roots of the composite coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara L., in a laboratory feeding bioassay. The extract had feeding deterrent activity, and the active ingredient, senkirkine, was isolated. Senkirkine, a pyrrolizidine alkaloid, is to our knowledge the first member of this class of compounds shown to have feeding deterrent activity in Lepidoptera. Thirteen additional pyrrolizidine alkaloids were bioassayed to determine possible structure-activity correlations. Most of the pyrrolizidine alkaloids tested were inactive, and high levels of feeding deterrence were not observed in those compounds lacking lactone or diester side chains. The most active compounds, senkirkine and lasiocarpine, bore α, β unsaturation in the side chain.

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