Many plant extracts exhibit insecticidal activity and are considered an environmentally friendly method
for pest management. They act through various effects on the target insects, including repellency, growth
inhibition, and structural and physiological changes. This study was carried out to evaluate the potential of
Euphorbia antiquorum L. to inhibit the growth and development of fruit flies. The plant extract exerted a
great influence on the growth and development of Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies through the
different survey criteria, such as the rate of pupation, larval formation, the energy storage composition of
carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and levels of enzymes belonging to the esterase group (AchE, α-carboxyl,
and β-carboxyl) and phosphatase (AcP and AkP) of adult flies after 14 days surveying. At a 15 mg/mL
concentration, the extract affected the growth and the development of fruit flies; the number of pupated
larvae was 2.25 times lower than that of the control treatment as a standard food; 80.99% of the flies died
at the pupal stage and were not able to develop to the adult stage. Total flavonoid and polyphenol content
were determined to be 466±6.35 mg GAE/g extract and 198±2.33 mg QE/g extract, respectively. From the
The present findings show that Euphorbia antiquorum L. has a potential for use as an insecticidal