Analysis of insecticidal Azadirachta indica A. Juss. fractions.
As a result of chemical investigation on the ethanolic extract of fresh fruit coatings of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (neem), twenty-seven compounds were identified in non-polar to less polar fractions which showed pesticidal activity determined by WHO method against Anopheles stephensi Liston. These identifications were basically made through GC-EIMS and were further supported by other spectroscopic techniques, including 13C NMR, UV and FTIR as well as retention indices. Thus sixteen n-alkanes, 1-16; three aromatics 2,6-bis-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methyl phenol (17), 2-(phenylmethylene)-octanal (20), 1,2,4-trimethoxy-5-(1Z-propenyl)-benzene (27); three benzopyranoids 3,4-dihydro-4,4,5,8-tetramethylcoumarin (18), 3,4-dihydro-4,4,7,8-tetramethylcoumarin-6-ol (19), 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl-cyclopenta[g]-2-benzopyran (22); one sesquiterpene methyl-3,7,11-trimethyl-2E,6E,10-dodecatrienoate (21); three esters of fatty acids methyl 14-methyl-pentadecanoate (23), ethyl hexadecanoate (24), ethyl 9Z-octadecenoate (25) and one monoterpene 3,7-dimethyl-1-octen-7-ol (26) were identified. Except 6, 8, 24 and 25 all these compounds were identified for the first time from the pericarp and fifteen of these, 1-3, 7, 9, 10, 17-23, 26, 27, are hitherto unreported previously from any part of the tree. Although this tree is a rich source of various natural products, it is the first report of identification of mono- and sesquiterpenes 26 and 21 and a potent antioxidant, 17.
Siddiqui
Bina Shaheen
BS
HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical Sciences, WHO Collaborating Centre, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan. bina@khi.comsats.net.pk
Rasheed
Munawwer
M
Ilyas
Firdous
F
Gulzar
Tahsin
T
Tariq
Rajput Mohammad
RM
Naqvi
Syed Naim-ul-Hassan
SN
D031601:Azadirachta / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*
D007306:Insecticides; D010936:Plant Extracts