Tropane alkaloids of Brugmansia suaveolens: effect in the trophic interactrion with specialist and generalist herbivores and their natural enemies

• Grant number: 07/07607-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2008
• End date: March 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Jose Roberto Trigo
• Grantee: Jose Roberto Trigo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Plants respond to insect herbivory by producing toxic substances (direct defense) or by releasing volatile compounds that attract natural enemies of herbivores (indirect defense). The optimal defense theory of plants predicts that defense costs are proportional to the resource investments and toxic substances should be allocated to more valuable plant tissues. In addition, change in resistance to herbivores following damage (induced responses), is a cost saving strategy, where the response of plants increased when damaged by herbivores. Most of the studies testing the optimal defense theory have been conducted in the laboratory and little is known about plant-induced responses in the field. Thus, by conducting laboratory and field experiments, the objective of this study is to determine whether the ecological role of chemical defense of B. suaveolens against herbivores is in agreement with the optimal defense theory. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ARAB, A.; ALVES, M. N.; SARTORATTO, A.; OGASAWARA, D. C.; TRIGO, J. R.. Methyl Jasmonate Increases the Tropane Alkaloid Scopolamine and Reduces Natural Herbivory in Brugmansia suaveolens: Is Scopolamine Responsible for Plant Resistance?. Neotropical Entomology, v. 41, n. 1, p. 2-8, FEB 2012. (07/07607-7, 06/07304-1)