Four prenylated flavonoids, isoglabratephrin, (+)-glabratephrin, tephroapollin-F and lanceolatin-A, were isolated from Tephrosia apollinea L. and tested against three stored grain insects. Using the filter paper bioassay, compounds showed adulticidal activity against Sitophilus oryzae (L), Rhyzopertha dominica (F) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) at concentrations of 0.875, 1.75 and 3.5 mg mL(- 1). At 3.5 mg mL(- 1), tephroapollin-F was the most toxic (78.6%, 64.6% and 60.7% mortality was recorded after 10 days exposure of S. oryzae, R. dominica and T. castaneum, respectively). The F1 progeny production of insects was affected after parental exposure to flavonoids, where S. oryzae was the most susceptible. A nutritional bioassay, employing a flour disc and test concentrations of 0.65, 1.3 and 2.6 mg g(- 1), revealed a significant reduction in the relative growth rate, relative consumption rate and efficiency of conversion of ingested food by all insects. The structure-activity relationship among the tested flavonoids was discussed.
Keywords: Tephrosia apollinea; antifeedant activity; insecticidal activity; prenylated flavonoids; stored grain insects; structure–activity relationship.