Glycoalkaloids, the biologically active secondary metabolites produced by Solanaceae plants, are natural defenses against animals, insects and fungi. In this paper, the effects of glycoalkaloids present in extracts of Solanaceae plants (potato, tomato and black nightshade) or pure commercial glycoalkaloids on the coleopteran Zophobas atratus F. were evaluated by in vitro and in vivo bioassays using heart experimental models. Each tested extract induced a dose-dependent cardioinhibitory effect. The perfusion of Zophobas atratus semi-isolated heart using the highest potato and tomato extract concentration (1 mmol/L) caused irreversible cardiac arrests, while extract from black nightshade produced fast but reversible arrests. Pure commercial glycoalkaloids caused similar but less evident effects compared with extracts. Our results showed that the bioactivity of tested compounds depended on their structure and suggested the existence of synergistic interactions when combinations of the main glycoalkaloids of potato and black nightshade were used for trials. Surprisingly, injection of tomato and potato extracts in 1-day-old pupae of Zophobas atratus induced reversible positive chronotropic effects and decreased the duration of the both phases (anterograde and retrograde) of the heart contractile activity. Furthermore, these extracts affected the amplitude of the heart contractions.
Keywords: Solanaceae; Zophobas atratus; cardioinhibitory effect; glycoalkaloid; heart perfusion.
© 2014 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.