Phytochemistry and chemical ecology: search for starter compounds for new insecticidal, fungicidal and bactericidal drugs for control of plant pests

• Grant number: 03/09852-8
• Support Opportunities: PRONEX Research - Thematic Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2004
• End date: March 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Agreement: CNPq - Pronex
• Principal Investigator: Maria Fátima das Graças Fernandes da Silva
• Grantee: Maria Fátima das Graças Fernandes da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Antonio Gilberto Ferreira ; Osmar Malaspina
• Associated scholarship(s): 07/01691-6 - Effects of sublethals doses of fipronil to the Africanized honey bees: morphology and behavior analysis, BP.MS

Abstract

The central theme of this Project is isolation and structure elucidation of plant secondary metabolites and the application of findings to the investigation of a wide range of problems including: 1. The ecological importance of secondary metabolites in shaping Citrus/insect/fungus/bacteria/enzymes interactions. In order to attend this subject the objectives are: a) The search of target compounds for antibacterial drug design to Xyllela fastidiosa; b) The search of target compounds for insecticide drug design to insect vector of Xyllela fastidiosa; c) The search of target compounds for fungicide drug design to Guignardia citricarpa; d) In order to determine if secondary metabolites present in Citrus limon stock could be translocated to the C. sinensis graft, the biosynthesis of coumarins will be studied by prenyltransferase; e) The ecological importance of secondary metabolites in shaping Citrus/Apis mellifera. 2. The ecological importance of secondary metabolites in chaping Meliaceae/H. grandella: In order to attend this subject the objectives are: a) The search of target compounds for insecticide drug design to H. grandella in Swietenia macrophylla; b) The search of target compounds for insecticide drug design to H. grandella in Khaya ivorensis; c) The search of target compounds for insecticide drug design to H. grandella in Azadirachta indica grafted on Melia azedarach; d) Syntheses and characterization of female pheromone of H. grandella and their use in Meliaceae plantation. 3. The ecological importance of secondary metabolites in shaping Meliaceae/Termites: in order to attend this subject the objectives are: a) The search of target compounds for insecticide drug design to Heterotermes tenuis in Meliaceae resistant to termites; b) Syntheses and characterization of female pheromone of H. grandella and their application. (AU)