Chemical characterization, anti-cholinesterase and insecticidal activities of Moroccan Artemisia absinthium L. leaf extracts against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Imane Naimi a,* , Maroua Ait Tastift b , Manal Zefzoufi a , Chemseddoha Gadhi b , Touria Ba M’hamed a , Hafida Bouamama a a Laboratory of Sustainable Development and Health Research, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco b Laboratory of Agri-Food, Biotechnology, and Valorization of Plant Resources Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Medicinal Plants Unit, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Avenue Prince Moulay Abdellah, BP 2390, Marrakesh, 40000, Morocco A R T I C L E INFO Handling Editor: Dr Christos Athanassiou Keywords: A. absinthium L. Solvent extracts HPLC Contact toxicity T. castaneum ABSTRACT The present investigation assessed the effect of solvent extraction (ethanol, ethyl acetate, and acetone) of Artemisia absinthium L. leaves on the chemical profile, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, anti-cholinesterase activity, and contact toxicity against T. castaneum adults. The extraction yield showed that ethanol extract was the most effective solvent for extraction, resulting in the highest extraction yield (5,74 %). The HPLC analysis results showed that the main components identified were 5-desmethylsinensetin (34,7 %), quercetin- dimethyl ester-O-hexoside (15,95 %), quercetin-tetramethyl ester (7,32 %), and apigenin 6-C-glucoside 8-C- arabinoside isomer 2 (6,52 %). This extract recorded the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content, with a value of 2,91 ± 0.08 mg GAE/g extract and 1,13 ± 0,02 mg QE/g extract, respectively. The ethanol extract caused high mortality rates of 93,3 % of T. castaneum adults at the concentration of 95 mg/mL after 72 h of exposure due to its high acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory potential (19,98 ± 0,10 mg/ml). A. absinthium L. extract can be an alternative to chemical insecticides to control T. castaneum. 1. Introduction Food storage for an extended period has posed many problems and increased the importance of preventing insect pest damage. This damage affects the products’ quality, quantity, and commercial value (Kumar and Kalita, 2017). The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is one of the most destructive sec- ondary insect pests of stored products such as grains, peas, beans, nuts, dried fruits, and spices (Taghizadeh and Mohammadkhani, 2017; Atta et al., 2020). Pests of stored products are most commonly managed by chemical control (Sakka et al., 2020). Chemical insecticides such as phosphine, organophosphorus, organochlorine compounds, and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are widely used with significant adverse effects on both human health and the environment. However, these chemicals have serious consequences, including the accumulation of toxic residues, which can damage DNA in ovary cells, lead to Par- kinson’s disease, and cause the development of insecticide resistance (Adarkwah et al., 2010; Liang et al., 2020; Aboelhadid et Youssef, 2021; Jaffar et al., 2022). Currently, botanical extracts are preferred over synthetic chemicals in agro-systems where environmental protection and the preservation of beneficial organisms are critical (Mahmoud and Hassan, 2022). More than 6000 plant species from at least 235 families are known to have various activities against pests and are used as pes- ticides by local farmers in some developing countries worldwide (Chhetri and Acharya, 2019; Mahmoud and Hassan, 2022). These botanical insecticides have several advantages, including environmental safety, less hazard, economics, and ease of availability compared to synthetic pesticides (Atta et al., 2020). Plant extracts are generally used for gallbladder disorders, intestinal disorders, sexual desire, skin disor- ders, and fever reduction (Akan et al., 2024). However, they exert their repellent and lethal effect on insects through neurotoxic mechanisms, in particular the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (Mikhaiel, 2011; Hem- atpoor et al., 2017; Acheuk et al., 2018; Naimi et al., 2024, 2025). The Asteraceae is the largest family, with over 900 genera and 14,000 spe- cies. According to Mekini´c et al. (2013), several species from the Asteraceae family are known for their sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids * Corresponding author. E-mail address: imane.naimi94@gmail.com (I. Naimi). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Stored Products Research journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jspr https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2025.102635 Received 22 December 2024; Received in revised form 2 March 2025; Accepted 15 March 2025 Journal of Stored Products Research 112 (2025) 102635 0022-474X/© 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.