본 연구에서는 불가사리 폐기물을 농업용 소재로서 활용 가능성을 조사하기 위해 불가사리 생체의 유기용매 추출물을 이용하여 복숭아혹진딧물 살충효율 실험을 수행하였다. 불가사리 추출물은 1,000 mg/L 수준에서 약 70% 이상의 살충효율을 보였으며 추출물을 정제하여 TOF-MS 분석한 결과 살충물질로서 polyhydroxysteroid가 동정되었다. Polyhydroxysteroid는 진딧물의 cuticle membrane을 파괴하여 진딧물을 살충하는 기작을 보유하고 있는 것으로 투과전자현미경 분석결과 밝혀졌다. 본 연구를 통해 폐기물 형태로 퇴치되고 있는 불가사리를 활용하면 진딧물 같은 해충방제용 소재로서 개발할 수 있을 것으로 기대되었다.
BACKGROUND: Starfish is one of major sea invertebrates that have become a serious economic threat to aquacultural farms in Korea. Much effort has sacrificed to reduce the economic losses of the farms by predatory starfish, including developing and searching biological resources for medicinal and agricultural purposes. In the present study, we investigated aphicidal activity of the extracts from the starfish Asterina pectinifera against green peach aphid. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fresh starfishes were cut into small pieces, homogenized and soaked in methanol. The methanol extracts were centrifuged and the resulting supernatant was subjected to aphicidal activity assays and a series of silica gel column chromatography. More than 70% mortality of aphids were observed by the extracts at a concentration of 1,000 mg/L, exhibiting dose-dependent mortality. TOF-MS analyses detected polyhydroxysteroid as a main aphicidal compound from the starfish extracts. Transmission electronic microscopy could demonstrate that the extracts with polyhydroxysteroid caused aphids death by affecting their epicuticular membrane. CONCLUSION(s): This is the first report of aphicidal activity of the starfish Asterina pectinifera extracts against green peach aphid. Starfish biological resources may be used as a potential candidate for developing a new type natural insecticide.
