The Effects of Anabasine and the Alkaloid Extract of Nicotiana glauca on Lepidopterous Larvae

Abstract

For several decades, Nicotiana glauca has been known for its content of the pyridine alkaloid, anabasine. The toxicological effects of this metabolite have been extensively studied, as opposed to its potential insecticidal activity. The anabasine content of leaves of N. glauca, collected from Malta, was 0.258 ± 0.0042% as determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. In the Pieris rapae larval bioassay, the median effective concentrations of anabasine and the alkaloid extract were 0.572 and 1.202 mg per larva, respectively. The presence of other interfering metabolites may have resulted in this elevated EC 50 for the crude extract. Anabasine is quoted to be a very toxic alkaloid not solely to insects, but also to other animals, and its use in minute concentrations in insect traps may well prove it to be an effective natural insecticide.

Fatty Alcohols, a Minor Component of the Tree Tobacco Surface Wax, Reduce Insect Herbivory

“…These included anabasine and several highly abundant sugars. Anabasine is an alkaloid that is a structural isomer of nicotine and is known to be similarly toxic to insects (Zammit et al, 2014). Thus, we wanted to account for the effects of mutations in wax-related genes on the abundance of this metabolite in the mutants.…”

Impact and status of invasive alien plant species (IAPS), Nicotiana glauca, in Eastern and Southern Zones of Tigray regional state, Ethiopia

“…Anabasine is quoted to be a very toxic alkaloid not solely to insects. 21 Concerning to the estimated amount of money lost due to the damage by Nicotiana glauca per year, 35% the respondents did not recognized its impacts, 28.3% reported as if it was difficult to estimate and insignificance number of the respondents (5.1%) reported as 8000_15,000 Ethiopian Birr. Regarding the level of negative impact of Nicotiania glauca on biodiversity, majority of the respondents (66.6%)reported that the negative impact of Nicotiania glauca on biodiversity increase slightly and sharply and 31.7 % of the respondents stated as remained constant whereas insignificant number of the respondents (1.7%)indicated that the negative impact of Nicotiana glauca decreased slightly (Table 3).…”

The Phytochemical Constitution of Maltese Medicinal Plants – Propagation, Isolation and Pharmacological Testing

“…Anabasine and nicotine exert their insecticidal effect by interacting with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors [222,223]. Anabasine and Nicotiana glauca extracts were tested for their effects against Pieris rapae larvae [216]. The paralysis of the larvae was an indicator of activity.…”

“…Nicotine predominated in Nicotiana tabacum [213] and Nicotiana rustica [214] whereas anabasine predominates in Nicotiana glauca [214,215]. The leaves of Maltese Nicotiana glauca were dried and extracted with 200ml of 0.5% sodium hydroxide [216]. After volume reduction, chloroform was added to extract the alkaloids in this organic phase.…”

“…In some cases, phytochemical analysis is the end-point of the research whereas in others, phytochemical analysis leads on to further studies, including pharmacological testing. The leaves of Maltese Nicotiana glauca were dried and extracted with 200ml of 0.5% sodium hydroxide [216]. After volume reduction, chloroform was added to extract the alkaloids in this organic phase.…”