Effects of the Insect Growth Regulators Azadirachtin, Pyriproxyfen, and Tebufenozide on the Fatty Acid Metabolome of Bactrocera Dorsalis Larvae

Insects' lipids, including fatty acids, as the second largest constituents in insects, play a variety of fundamental and vital functions. However, there is a lack of reports on the effects of insect growth regulators on fatty acid profiles and metabolic mechanisms. Therefore, in this study, a comparative study of three growth regulators, azadirachtin, pyriproxyfen, and tebufenozide, on fatty acids was carried out using a targeted metabolomics approach to fill this gap. The results showed that when exposed to azadirachtin, pyriproxyfen, and tebufenozide, there were 14, 17, and 11 differentially regulated fatty acids, respectively. The pathway of biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids was the common shared pathway, while fatty acid biosynthesis and linoleic acid metabolism were the specific pathways affected by the 3 insect growth regulators. Therefore, the results could be helpful to deepen the effects of azadirachtin and insect growth regulators on terrestrial insects.