Nicoletta FaraoneAcadia University · Department of Chemistry
Nicoletta Faraone
PhD - Assistant Professor
About
37
Publications
20,705
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
618
Citations
Introduction
I am a natural product chemist and biochemist who completed her Ph.D. in Chemical Ecology at the University of Palermo (Italy). My current research interests include natural products, chemical ecology, bioactive molecules, bio-pesticides, cannabinoids and pest management. My research projects focus on the discovery of bioactive natural products for pest management and crop protection, and their application in the food and health industry.
Additional affiliations
June 2017 - June 2019
June 2015 - present
Position
- PostDoc Position
Description
- The goal of my research is to identify pheromones and host plant volatiles for seed-eating weevils, and to use these compounds to develop environmentally friendly methods for monitoring and control of weevil populations in clover seed fields.
January 2014 - April 2014
Education
January 2009 - December 2011
Publications
Publications (37)
To locate their western honey bee (Apis mellifera) hosts, parasitic Varroa destructor mites depend on tactile and especially chemosensory cues. Modifying these cues in the honey bee colony environment may show potential for use as a means of managing Varroa destructor mite populations. We tested whether chemical compound, previously detected in hon...
![Mean (±\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath}...](publication/369172164/figure/fig2/AS:11431281144693683@1681351265119/Mean-documentclass12ptminimal-usepackageamsmath-usepackagewasysym_Q320.jpg)
![Mean (±\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath}...](publication/369172164/figure/fig3/AS:11431281144732975@1681351265213/Mean-documentclass12ptminimal-usepackageamsmath-usepackagewasysym_Q320.jpg)
Repellent and acaricidal activities of essential oils (EO) extracted from common yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) and main chemical components were evaluated against Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor variabilis adult ticks and nymphs. Flowers and leaves were collected from two locations, Harvest Moon trail (HMT) and Port Williams (PW) in Nova Scoti...
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, vectors Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme Disease. Although synthetic pesticides can reduce tick numbers, there are concerns about their potential effects on beneficial insects, such as pollinators. Plant-based pest control agents such as essential oils could provide an alternative because t...
Tetranychus urticae Koch (two-spotted spider mite) is a worldwide multi-host agricultural pest that has rapidly developed resistance to a variety of synthetic chemical pesticides due to its high fecundity and short generation time. Plant essential oils have been recognized as a novel natural source of pest control that have a reduced impact to the...
Repellent and acaricidal activity of essential oils extracted from three varieties of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) were evaluated on blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis Say) in laboratory conditions. Essential oils were extracted and characterized through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and...
![Release of catnip oil volatiles from [catnip: β-CD] inclusion complex...](publication/356851403/figure/tbl2/AS:1098766652325891@1638977792875/Release-of-catnip-oil-volatiles-from-catnip-b-CD-inclusion-complex-IC-over-time_Q320.jpg)
Cyclodextrin inclusion complexes have been successfully used to encapsulate essential oils, improving their physicochemical properties and pharmacological effects. Besides being well-known for its effects on cats and other felines, catnip (Nepeta cataria) essential oil demonstrates repellency against blood-feeding pests such as mosquitoes. This stu...
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, vectors Borrelia burgdorferi , a bacterium that causes Lyme Disease. Although synthetic pesticides can reduce tick numbers, less toxic acaricides would reduce impacts on other animals, such as pollinating insects. Natural-based pest control agents could provide an alternative because they have low enviro...
Essential oils (EOs) are used in several pest management applications. Due to their volatility, EOs may experience bioactivity reduction, thus requiring protection to extend their properties. In the present study, we investigated the inclusion complex formation (IC) of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with selected EOs with known tick repellent activity using...
The effects of granite rock dust in dry and aqueous formulations were evaluated under field conditions for control of insect pests in different crop systems and ornamental plants. We tested efficacy of crop protection following foliar applications on lily, squash, and cabbage plants by evaluating subsequent pest damage, overall plant health, and qu...
Essential oils produced by plants are a rich source of metabolites that can have toxic or behaviour- modifying effects on arthropods. Some essential oils have shown promise in management of the mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae), a parasite of western honey bees, Apis mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Esse...
For the food industry to successfully develop foods and beverages enriched with
cannabis or cannabinoids, sensory analysis trials must be conducted. This study used
open-ended comments to evaluate a consumer acceptability trial of a cannabis edible.
The participants (n = 64) were presented with an outline of a proposed consumer
acceptability trial...
The Streptomyces produce a great diversity of specialized metabolites, including highly volatile compounds with potential biological activities. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by nine Streptomyces spp., some of which are of industrial importance, were collected and identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Biosynthe...
Blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, represent a significant public health concern due to their vectoring of tick-borne disease. Despite their medical importance, there is still limited knowledge of the chemosensory system of this species, and thus a poor understanding of host-seeking behaviour and chemical ecology. We investigated the electrophys...
Mineral-based products represent a valid alternative to synthetic pesticides in integrated pest management. We investigated the effects of a novel granite dust product as an agent for controlling two-spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), on tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Two-choice tests for repellency and...
The spread of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and growing threat of Lyme disease transmission has increased demand for effective, safe and environmentally friendly repellent products. Plant-derived essential oils are natural products that exhibit insecticidal and repellant activities and represent a promising alternative to synthetic repellan...
Mineral-based products represent a valid alternative to synthetic pesticides in IPM practices. We investigated the effects of a granite dust product1 as a novel agent for controlling twospotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) on grape vines (Vitis spp.). Two-choice repellency and repulsiveness bioassays and different type of applications (soil,...
Inert rock dusts, such as diatomaceous earth, represent effective products for insect
pest management. We investigated the properties of a novel granite dust product in
different formulations as a repellent and insecticidal agent against two important
horticultural crop pests (Plutella xylostella and Trichoplusia ni). Foliar application of
granite...
Plants produce a multitude of volatile compounds that have a role in reproduction, stress response, and offering olfactory cues for location by predatory pest insects. Current trends in agriculture seek to find safer, sustainable methods for crop protection against such pests. Recent work has determined a novel granite dust bio-product as a natural...
The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the main vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease. In North America, the spread of I. scapularis ticks and the high incidence of Lyme disease cases reported in recent years have raised concerns for public health. The threat of disease transmission has resulted in an increasing...
The incidence of Lyme disease in Canada continues to increase as its primary vector, the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), maintains a growing population. The public has raised the need for safe and natural repellant products to be used in protection against harmful ticks. In this study, the repellency of two essential oil components (EO-A and...
We examined the insecticidal activity of linalool and thymol, against diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), and whether they would synergise the activity of spinosad against this pest. Both linalool and thymol were toxic to diamondback moth larvae by topical and oral exposure, but orders of magnitude less so t...
The behavioral response of the larval parasitoid Spintherus dubius (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) to volatile compounds derived from its Apion weevil hosts was investigated in two-choice bioassays. Odor source candidates were the larval and adult stages of weevils, clover flowers, and feces from adult weevils. Despite S. dubius being a larval parasito...
Insect herbivores and their natural enemies use chemical cues for locating food and oviposition sites. In the case of parasitoids, chemical signals from the insect host or their combination with the plant itself may contribute to localizing the host1. The most abundant parasitoid in clover fields is Spintherus dubius, a small wasp responsible for t...
Blueberry fruit fly, Rhagoletis mendax Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae), females deposit a host-marking pheromone (HMP) on the surface of fruit immediately after oviposition that deters oviposition by female conspecifics. We collected this HMP from artificial oviposition devices and faeces. In subsequent two-choice bioassays, gravid females showed a s...
Apion species (Coleoptera: Apionidae) are important pests of clover seed production in Sweden and severe reduction in yield of especially organic clover (Trifolium spp.) has been reported. Recent surveys in clover seed production areas in southern Sweden1 indicate massive infestation by clover weevils. In red clover seed fields the most common spec...
Plant-derived products can play an important role in pest management programs. Essential oils from Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) and Thymus vulgaris (thyme) and their main constituents, linalool and thymol, respectively, were evaluated for insecticidal activity and synergistic action in combination with insecticides against green peach aphid, M...
Plant-derived products can play an important role in pest management programs. Essential oils (EOs) from Tanacetum vulgare (Asteraceae) flowers and Artemisia abrotanum (Asteraceae) aerial parts were obtained by hydrodistillation and were evaluated for insecticidal activity against larvae of diamond back moth, Plutella xylostella, and nymphs of gree...
Plant-derived products can play an important role in pest management programs. Essential oils (EOs) from Tanacetum vulgare (Asteraceae) flowers and Artemisia abrotanum (Asteraceae) aerial parts were obtained by hydrodistillation and were evaluated for insecticidal activity against larvae of diamond back moth, Plutella xylostella, and nymphs of gree...
Females of blueberry fruit fly, Rhagoletis mendax Curran, deposit host-marking pheromone immediately after oviposition by dragging their ovipositor over the surface of host fruit. The function of this pheromone is to deter repeated ovipositions by other females in already infested fruit. Host-marking pheromone may be also present in faeces. We deve...
Sensory adaptation has been measured in the antennae of male Grapholita molesta (Busck) after 15 min of exposure to its main pheromone compound (Z)-8-dodecen-1-yl acetate (Z8-12:OAc) at the aerial concentration of 1 ng/m(3) measured in orchards treated with pheromone for mating disruption. Exposing males to this aerial concentration of Z8-12:OAc fo...
The monoterpenoid citral synergized the electroantennogram (EAG) response of male Grapholita molesta (Busck) antennae to its main pheromone compound Z8-12:OAc. The response to a 10-μg pheromone stimulus increased by 32, 45, 54, 71 and 94% with the addition of 0.1, 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 μg of citral, respectively. There was no detectable response to...
Ferulago campestris (Besser) Grec., (Ferula galbanifera (Mill) Kock. = F. campestris), finocchiazzo, is an annual or perennial herb of the Mediterranean area. In this paper the phytochemical studies of the CH(2)Cl(2) and MeOH extracts of the flowers are described. Several ferulol derivatives and a new 10-hydroxy-verbenone ester (7) were isolated. T...
The biological activity of peel essential oils of two Sicilian cultivars of C. limon, ‘Interdonato’ and ‘Lunario’, was investigated by electrophysiological recordings (EAG) and field trials on Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera
Tephritidae). The EAG data showed a remarkable dose-response relationship and a low activation threshold dose (10-3M)...
Grandivittin (1), agasyllin (2), aegelinol benzoate (3) and felamidin (20), four natural coumarins isolated from Ferulago campestris, and several synthetic ester derivatives of aegelinol (4) were tested against four tumor cell lines. Some of them were shown to be marginally cytotoxic against the A549 lung cancer cell line.
We report the isolation of several coumarins and the stereochemical assessment of some pyranocoumarins, as well as the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the three most abundant ones (grandivittin, agasyllin and aegelinol benzoate) isolated from the roots of Ferulago campestris collected in Sicily and of the hydrolysis product (aegelinol)....
Questions
Questions (3)
Hello everybody,
I am trying to insert error bars in my mirror bar plot in R (ggplot).
I have different pairs of stimuli (control VS treatment) and I am representing the number of insects that made the choice on the x axes, and on the y axes I have different pair of treatments.
What I cannot do it is inserting the error bars: for the treatment, the bars are located correctly but for the control they are shifted on the other side.
Thank you in advance!
Cheers,
Nicoletta
Hi everybody,
I am using the internal standard technique for building a calibration curve for my samples. I am using different range of concentrations for my samples (15-2000 microM) and the concentration of the IS is 500 microM, constant in all of them. I am using the IS peak area for normalizing the peak area of samples. Everything is perfectly fine, except for the highest concentration, in which the IS peak area decreases (when it should be constant because the used concentration is the same), while the sample peak area does not change compare to the second highest concentration. When I plot the data points, there is a perfect linear correlation except, of course, for the highest one. I have tried to change the range of concentrations used (decreasing them), but the problem is still there, and only for the highest concentration! Have you ever had this kind of problems? I would really appreciate any thoughts/suggestions that can help me... thanks!
Nicoletta
It is a test for comparing median lethal concentration values. the reference paper is Wheeler et al. 2006 (Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 25: 1441-1444). Thank you!
