Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles with Black chokeberry [Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliot] Leaf Extract and Evaluation of Insecticidal Activity on the Greater Wax Moth [Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae)]

The greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae), is a harmful species that settles on honeycombs in beehives and causes a decrease in productivity. In the control of harmful insects, the discovery of alternative methods to chemical control, which are environmentally friendly and not effective on non-target organisms has been studied for many years. - Plant-derived substances are widely used among these alternative methods. Black chokeberry [Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliot] is a shrub-like plant belonging to Family Rosaceae and is cultivated for fruit production. While there are many studies on the medical importance of this plant, known as the "super/miracle plant", studies on its effects on insects are limited. Nanotechnology is one of the topics that has attracted a lot of attention in recent years. The use of nanotechnology is increasing in the agricultural sector as in other disciplines. An agrochemical system with superior properties such as targeted pesticide, controlled release of active substances, and biodegradable materials can be created from modified nanomaterials. With these features, nanotechnology gives hope to solve the environmental problems caused by traditional chemical pesticides. In this study, the leaf extract of A. melanocarpa was green synthesized with silver nanoparticles. The green synthesized nanoparticles were tested on late stage larvae of G. mellonella and their insecticidal effect was demonstrated. In addition, the binding ability of the main components in the leaf extract (n-hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid and octadecanoic acid) to the antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)) of the insect has been demonstrated in silico. Thus, it was aimed to reveal a plant-derived extract, an effective bioinsecticide alternative to chemical control, by in vivo and in silico methods. LC50 and LC99 values of G. mellanolla larvae applied with silver nanoparticle leaf extract were determined as 5.51 and 11.58µl, respectively. Moreover, the effect of main components of A. melanocarpa on SOD and CAT enzymes, which are the main elements of the enzymatic defense system of G. mellonella, was demonstrated in silico.