Larvicidal efficacy of Quassin against Culex quinquefasciatus.
Crushed aqueous extracts of leaf, wood, bark and flowers of Quassia amara showed antilarval activity against C quinquefasciatus. Quassin has been identified to be the antilarval principle present in this plant and was effective against mosquito larvae at a concentration of 6 ppm. Quassin was present to the extent of 0.1 to 0.14 per cent (average 0.12%) on a dry weight basis in wood of Q. amara. This compound is an unsaturated lactone and it gave a positive response to the Legal test, characteristic of unsaturated lactones. Quassin lost its antilarval activity on treatment with strong alkalies. Quassin was over five times as active as carbaryl, a synthetic antilarval agent.
Evans
D A
DA
Department of Biochemistry, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram.
Raj
R K
RK
D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex; D005900:Glaucarubin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D007306:Insecticides; D007814:Larva; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009032:Mosquito Control; D010944:Plants; D036702:Quassins
D007306:Insecticides; D036702:Quassins; D005900:Glaucarubin; C010317:quassin