Avocado oil is considered a highly prized food due to its nutritional contribution. On the other hand, Aristotelia chilensis (Molina) Stuntz (Elaeocarpaceae), common name “maqui”, is an endemic fruit in Chile, well known for its exceptional antioxidant properties. In general, maqui by-products such as leaves are considered as waste. Thus, maqui leaves extracts were used to improve the stability of vegetable oils, particularly avocado oil. Hence, avocado oil was fortified with two extracts (ethyl ether and methanol) obtained of maqui leaves and exposed to 120 °C for 386 h in an oven. The results showed a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (69.46%, mainly oleic acid), followed by polyunsaturated fatty acids (16.41%, mainly linoleic acid) and finally saturated fatty acids (14.13%). The concentration of the total phenolic compounds in the pure oil, ethyl ether and methanol maqui leaves extracts were 45.8, 83.7, and 4100.9 ppm, respectively. In addition, the antioxidant activity was 5091.6 and 19,452.5 µmol Trolox eq/g for the ethyl ether and methanol extracts, respectively. The secondary degradation compounds showed significant differences between the fortified and non-fortified samples after 144 h and the TG/DTG analysis showed a significant increment of 7 °C in the degradation temperature (Tonset) of avocado oil fortified with the methanol extract when compared to the non-fortified oil and fortified oil with ethyl ether extract. After heating for 336 h, fortified oil with methanol extract reached the limit percentages of polar compounds, while pure oil reached it in a shorter time, i.e., 240 h. Based on the results, avocado oil can be protected with natural additives such as extracts obtained from maqui leaves, leading to an increase in its thermo-oxidative stability.

The Chilean fruit leaf roller Proeulia auraria is a pest of economically important fruit species. Two compounds attractive to males have been identified as (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (E11-14:OAc) and (E)-11-tetradecenol (E11-14:OH) and are currently being used in Chile to monitor this species. Preliminary experiments carried out by our group suggested that the 2-compound mixture might not be optimal for the attraction of males, which prompted us to reinvestigate the sex pheromone of P. auraria in the present study. The pheromone component candidates were extracted from pheromone glands with hexane and identified by gas chromatography (GC) with electroantennographic detection (EAD), GC-mass spectrometry, and a comparison of the analytical data of the natural compounds with those of authentic reference substances. The EAD active compounds were identified as tetradecyl acetate (14:OAc), E11-14:OAc, (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:OAc), and E11-14:OH in a relative ratio of 11:100:4:37, respectively. Field tests showed that all four compounds are behaviorally active. The most attractive blend, which is more attractive than the 2-component mixture that is currently in use, contained the main compound E11-14:OAc, 1% of the geometric isomer Z11-14:OAc, and both of the other minor compounds. Increasing the relative amount of Z11-14:OAc to 4% of the major component resulted in a significant reduction of attraction. An analysis of the fatty acid content of the pheromone gland revealed the presence of (E)-11-tetradecenoate but not of (Z)-11-tetradecenoate. The possible role in species isolation and the possible biosynthetic origin of this strongly E-biased pheromone are discussed.

Xanthogaleruca luteola (Müller) is a monophagous pest species indigenous to Europe, known as elm leaf beetle. During the larval and adult stages, this insect damages elm leaves as it chews small holes in the leaves, causing, even, complete defoliation, leaving only the nervation. Although this species only uses Ulmus spp. as host plants to complete its development, some preliminary results have shown that is attracted to non-host plants such as Eucalyptus globulus Labill. In order to understand the role of volatile organic compounds emitted by E. globulus when the insect is attracted to this non-host plant, dichloromethane extracts of E. globulus were analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and main compounds were identified. Likewise, to evaluate the response of the antennae in X. luteola males and females to the compounds contained in the extract, a gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) was conducted. Only females were observed to respond to α-pinene, eucalyptol, 4-terpineol, α-terpineol, α-terpineol acetate, α-gurjunene, alloaromadendrene, alloaromadendrene, viridiflorene, and globulol compounds. This study is the first step to identify substances mediating the host plant selection of X. luteola.