Inhibitory effects of Schiff analogs of salicylidene aniline on phenoloxidase from Pieris rapae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

In order to gain insight into the development of insecticides with novel modes of action, the effects of salicylidene aniline (a), salicylidene-4-chloroaniline (b), salicylidene-4-bromoaniline (c), and salicylidene-4-nitroaniline (d) on partially purified phenoloxidase (PO) from Pieris rapae L. were investigated. The results showed that the 4 compounds could inhibit PO activity, and the inhibitor concentrations leading to a loss of 50% activity (IC50) were estimated to be 0.025 mmol L−1, 0.732 mmol L−1, 0.471 mmol L−1, and 0.675 mmol L−1, respectively. Meanwhile, all the inhibitors showed reversible competitive inhibition, except (d), which showed reversible mixed inhibition. The KI values were determined as 0.106 mmol L−1, 10.059 mmol L−1, 8.390 mmol L−1, and 20.198 mmol L−1 for the four compounds, respectively. The UV–vis spectra of (a) and (d) in the presence of copper ions and the enzyme showed that (a) could directly chelate the copper ions of PO; however, (d) could neither chelate the additional copper ions nor the copper ions of PO.