Antifeedant and insecticide properties of a limonoid from Melia azedarach (Meliaceae) with potential use for pest management

M.C. CARPINELLA *; M. T. DEFAGO; G. VALLADARES; S. M. PALACIOS

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY

American Chemical Society

Lugar: Washington DC; Año: 2003 vol. 51 p. 369 - 374

0021-8561

In the course of screening for novel naturally occurring insecticides from plants, the activity of the fruit extract of Argentinian Melia azedarach L. (Meliaceae) and its recently described limonoid meliartenin were investigated. The antifeedant activity of the fruit extract was tested on a variety of herbivore and granivorous insects through choice tests. Sixteen out of 17 species belonging to 3 orders, consume significantly less food when treated with the extract. The bioactivity of the isolated active compound meliartenin and its interchangeable isomer 12-hydroxiamoorastatin (1) was further studied. In choice tests, compound 1 inhibited feeding of Epilachna paenulata Germ. (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) larvae, with an ED50 value of 0.80 mg/cm2, comparable to that of azadirachtin (2) and lower than toosendanin (3) (0.72 and 3.69 mg/cm2, respectively), both compounds used for comparison purposes. In no-choice tests, E. paenulata larvae reared on food treated with 1 or 2 ate less, gain less weight and suffered greater mortality rates than control larvae. Activity of compound 1 was comparable to that of  2, with LD50 values of 0.76 and 1.24 mg/cm2, respectively, at 96 h. Shorter LT50 values were recorded for 1 at 4 and 1 mg/cm2 in comparison with 2. Thus,  M. azedarach fruit extract and its active principle have interesting potential for use in pest control programs.