title: Larvicidal efficacy of Quassin against Culex quinquefasciatus.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Raj
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D036702:Quassins; D005900:Glaucarubin; C010317:quassin