leave capturing , blank out honey . you may kill more tent flap with sugar substitute .
Many common insecticides are made of synthetic molecule , and they ’re used all over , often to the detriment of the environment , human and animal health , and non - targeted insects like bees . Insect pests are even developing resistance to them . Now , investigator show that the main component of a top - trade come-on , Truvia , is toxic to fruit flies ( Drosophila melanogaster ) . The finding may lead to an effective , low scale insecticide that provide humans unharmed .
Erythritol is a naturally occurring , non - nutritive sugar alcohol that wasapproved for useas a flavor enhancer and food linear by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration back in 2001 . The agency label it : “ generally tell apart as safe ” ( GRAS ) . you could encounter it in little green and white packets ofTruvia , market as a natural sweetener endure from the parting of the stevia plant .
ADrexel University team lead by Daniel MarendaandSean O’Donnellraised fruit flies on nutrient containing erythritol and other sweeteners , including artificial sugar substitutes as well as tabular array saccharide and corn syrup . The flies seemed to prefer erythritol even when sugar was around . But those flies promote on solid food hold Truvia render obtrusive motor impairments and lived for only 5.8 day on ordinary – compared to the 38.6 to 50.6 days for tent flap evoke on control and experimental food without Truvia . Pictured above , ( dead ) tent-fly raised in tubes containing Truvia .
The study began as a sixth - grade scientific discipline fairish projectthree years ago . Study joint author Simon Kaschock - Marenda demand his parent why they stopped eating white sugar when they were trying to eat healthier . “ He asked if he could test the effects of different sugar and sugar second-stringer on fly health and longevity for his science clean , and I enounce , ' Sure ! ' " Marenda recall in anews button . The two bought every type of sugar and sugar substitute they could get hold at their local supermarket ; Marenda ’s research lab supplied infant fly front and maturation culture medium .
“ After six day of testing these fly sheet in our sign , he came back to me and said , ‘ Dad , all the flies in the Truvia vials are dead … ” Marendasays . “ To which I responded , ‘ OK … we must have screwed up somehow . allow ’s repeat the experimentation ! ' " Under more stringent examination conditions in the laboratory , they replicated their resolution . That ’s when they teamed up with O’Donnell , an entomologist down the hall , and turned the scientific discipline labor into a full - blown study . “ Indeed what we found is that the chief component of Truvia , the cabbage erythritol , appears to have passably potent insecticidal action in our flies , ” Marendasays .
No other sweeteners tested had these toxic effect – not even PureVia , which also contains the same stevia works extract find in Truvia . The team is now engage a patent on erythritol as an insect powder to be used on small scales . They ’re also continuing to read its effectualness ( or toxicity ) in other insects like termites , rophy , and bed bugs , as well as bugs high up in the food chain , like the mantis .
Theworkwas published inPLOS Onethis workweek .
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Image : Drexel University
