Larvicidal Activity in Desert Plants of the Negev and Bedouin Market Plant Products

Abstract

Aqueous plant extracts of 63 desert plants collected in the Negev desert and Bedouin market (Beer Sheva) were screened for larvicidal activity. Larvicidal activity was found in 16 plants, of which seven were reported in the ethnobotanical literature to be either poisonous, vermifuge, abortive, or toxic. Seven species showed high toxicity against Aedes aegypti larvae: Ephedra aphylla, Gypsophila arabica, Anabasis articulata, Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum, Nicotiana rustica, Hammada scoparia, Achillea fragrantissima. Four species showed moderate toxicity: Foeniculum vulgare, Glaucium arabicum, Solanum elaeagnifolium and Peganum harmala. The species with the lowest LC 50 values are: Ephedra aphylla, Gypsophila arabica and Achillea fragrantissima and may be candidates for further isolation and characterization of larvicidal compounds, which could be important in controlling disease-causing mosquitoes. Cytotoxicity of aqueous extract of Gypsophila arabica on melanoma cells in vitro showed that screening for larvicidal compounds may be used as a preliminary screening step in the search of anti-cancerous compounds.

Nuphar lutea thioalkaloids inhibit the nuclear factor κappaB pathway, potentiate apoptosis and are synergistic with cisplatin and etoposide

“…We have brought together a collection of over 400 plant species mainly from arid lands, traditional Bedouin medicine and the Tel-Aviv Botanical Garden and have prepared solvent extracts of different plants and plant products. 25,26 In order to detect potential anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity, we screened 34 methanol extracts from this collection (Suppl. Table S1).…”

Effects of <I>Peganum harmala</I> (Zygophyllaceae) Seed Extract on the Olive Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) and Its Larval Parasitoid <I>Psyttalia concolor</I> (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

“…Similarly, reported that feeding by larval red ßour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), on diet mixed with the methanol extracts from P. harmala seeds caused 58% larval mortality and prolonged larval developmental time, whereas feeding by adult T. castaneum on the same diet reduced their progeny production. As a larvicide, aqueous P. harmala extracts had moderate toxicity against Aedes aegypti (L.) larvae (Sathiyamoorthy et al 1997). These studies indicate a potential use of P. harmala extracts for the control of insect species as a possible alternative or companion to the use of synthetic pesticides.…”

Phytochemical and Molecular Analysis of Some Medicinal Plants of Labiatae Family Growing at Different Altitudes on Saint Katherine Mountain,south Sinai, Egypt

“…It was reported that Nepeta plants were prepared as tea and used in traditional medicine as anthelmintics, febrifuges, expectorants, to treat bronchitis, bites, stings of and scorpions (Arnold et al, 1993). Ballota undulata plant is used by Bedouins as a remedy for the treatment of wounds, scorpion, bee, and wasp stings (Sathiyamoorthy et al, 1997). The aqueous extract of B. undulata was tested for antitumor and antimalarial activities (Sathiyamoorthy et al, 1999).…”