Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Stored Products Research, cilt.117, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Entomopathogenic fungi are promising biocontrol agents against stored-product pests; however, their effectiveness is often limited by the reduced environmental stability of conidia during formulation, handling, and application. In this study, the UV-B tolerance and insecticidal activity of Metarhizium anisopliae formulated in oil-in-water emulsions enriched with the natural pigment prodigiosin were evaluated. Three formulations containing 0, 0.05, and 0.1% prodigiosin were exposed to UV-B radiation for up to 120 min, and conidial germination and insecticidal activity against the stored-product pest Tenebrio molitor were assessed. Unformulated conidia showed a marked decline in germination following UV-B exposure, decreasing to 46.67% after 120 min, whereas formulation containing 0.1% prodigiosin preserved germination above 89% even after prolonged UV-B exposure. Bioassays revealed that UV-B exposure significantly reduced the insecticidal activity of unformulated conidia and pigment-free formulation, while prodigiosin-enriched formulations retained high insecticidal activity. Notably, the 0.1% prodigiosin formulation maintained over 95% larval mortality after UV-B exposure, with no significant change in LC50 values. Furthermore, under non-UV conditions, pigment-containing formulations caused significantly higher larval mortality than both the pigment-free formulation and unformulated conidia, indicating that prodigiosin enhances not only UV-B protection but also the insecticidal efficacy of M. anisopliae, thereby improving formulation robustness. Although stored-product environments are generally protected from direct sunlight, UV tolerance remains an important indicator of formulation stability. Therefore, prodigiosin-enriched formulations represent a promising strategy to enhance the reliability of entomopathogenic fungi in stored-product pest management.