Exposure‐time optimization of ozone fumigation against two Tribolium flour beetles: integrating insect suppression, oxidative stress, and wheat flour quality
Jenan S Alharbi, Hend M Alharbi, Hosny H Kesba, Marwa MA Farag, Ahmed S Hashem, Ahmed AA AioubAbstract
BACKGROUND
Stored wheat flour is highly susceptible to infestation by Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum . This laboratory‐scale study evaluated how ozone exposure duration at 1000 ppm affected insect suppression, reproductive performance, oxidative stress, infestation‐associated flour weight loss, and flour quality.
RESULTS
Larvae and adults were exposed for 0, 5, 10, or 15 h. After 15 h, mortality reached 94.56% and 90.56% in T. castaneum and T. confusum adults and 81.92% and 77.44% in their larvae, respectively. F₁ progeny suppression reached 97.34%, 95.18%, 91.67%, and 87.91% in the corresponding groups. Longer exposures reduced fecundity, progeny production, and adult longevity, while increasing SOD, CAT, GST, and MDA. Among flour‐related outcomes, infestation‐associated flour weight loss declined. Moisture, crude protein, crude fat, total phenolics, and oil content also declined modestly, whereas peroxide value and free fatty acids increased. The 15 h treatment produced the greatest biological suppression, while 10 h showed a favourable laboratory‐scale balance between insect control and the measured flour‐quality responses.
CONCLUSION
Ozone produced a coordinated duration‐dependent reduction in Tribolium survival and population‐recovery potential, together with measurable oxidative and flour‐quality changes. Integrating mortality, reproductive impairment, physiological stress, and commodity‐damage indicators provides a more comprehensive framework than mortality‐only assessment. However, the 10 h treatment should be regarded as laboratory‐scale proof of concept rather than a commercial recommendation. Validation in larger flour masses, with chamber monitoring and rheological, sensory, structural, and digestibility assessments, is required. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.