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How does leaf age affect performance? A comparative study of essential oils from young and mature Eucalyptus globulus leaves in crop protection.

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Τίτλος: How does leaf age affect performance? A comparative study of essential oils from young and mature Eucalyptus globulus leaves in crop protection.
Συγγραφείς: Pinto M; GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/INOV4AGRO, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.; Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal., Soares C; GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/INOV4AGRO, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal., Figueiredo AC; Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal., Neto J; GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/INOV4AGRO, Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Plannings Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal., Sousa PAS; GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/INOV4AGRO, Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Plannings Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal., Aguiar AARM; GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/INOV4AGRO, Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Plannings Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal., Narduzzi M; Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy., Antonelli C; Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy., Vettraino AM; Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy., Andreani T; GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/INOV4AGRO, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal., Tavares F; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.; Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal., Fidalgo F; GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/INOV4AGRO, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Πηγή: Pest management science [Pest Manag Sci] 2026 Aug; Vol. 82 (8), pp. 7510-7525. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 24.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article; Comparative Study
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: Published for SCI by Wiley Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100898744 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1526-4998 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1526498X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Pest Manag Sci Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: West Sussex, UK : Published for SCI by Wiley, c2000-
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Eucalyptus*/chemistry , Eucalyptus*/growth & development , Oils, Volatile*/pharmacology , Oils, Volatile*/chemistry , Plant Leaves*/chemistry , Plant Leaves*/growth & development , Herbicides*/pharmacology , Crop Protection*/methods , Insecticides*/pharmacology, Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Animals
Περίληψη: Background: Essential oils (EOs) from Eucalyptus globulus Labill. leaves are widely recognized for their biological properties. However, the influence of leaf age on EOs chemical composition and bioactivity remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the chemical profiles and biopesticidal potential of EOs extracted from juvenile leaves from young trees (YEEO) and adult leaves from mature trees (AEEO) against relevant agricultural pests and pathogens.
Results: Metabolomic profiling revealed similar overall compound diversity between YEEO and AEEO. YEEO contained higher levels of α-pinene and β-pinene, whereas AEEO was richer in oxygenated compounds, such as 1,8-cineole and trans-pinocarveol. Herbicidal activity was tested against Portulaca oleracea and Solanum nigrum in pre- and post-emergent assays, showing strong post-emergent effects with 100% mortality at the highest concentrations. Both EOs also displayed dose-dependent antibacterial activity, with Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis being the most susceptible, followed by Xanthomonas euvesicatoria and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. No antifungal activity was observed against Alternaria alternata or Botrytis cinerea, but both EOs exhibited potent insecticidal activity against Phthorimaea absoluta larvae, achieving total mortality at the highest concentration (50% v/v) and low LC₅₀ (15.2% v/v for YEEO and 14% v/v for AEEO) and LC₉₀ values (41.4% v/v for YEEO and 38.5% v/v for AEEO).
Conclusion: Despite their chemical differences, YEEO and AEEO showed comparable herbicidal, antibacterial, and insecticidal effects, highlighting the feasibility of large-scale EO production, especially by valorizing adult leaves, a by-product of the paper and furniture industries. These findings highlight the potential of E. globulus EOs as bioactive agents against weeds, insects, and bacteria; however, further field studies are required to evaluate their practical applicability. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
(© 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)
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Grant Information: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme; European Cooperation in Science and Technology; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: antibacterial activity; antifungal activity; biopesticides; herbicidal activity; insecticidal activity; sustainable agriculture
Substance Nomenclature: 0 (Oils, Volatile)
0 (Herbicides)
0 (Insecticides)
0 (Anti-Bacterial Agents)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260424 Date Completed: 20260710 Latest Revision: 20260726
Update Code: 20260726
PubMed Central ID: PMC13352317
DOI: 10.1002/ps.70815
PMID: 42031567
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
Περιγραφή
ISSN:1526-4998
DOI:10.1002/ps.70815