title: Insecticidal activity of the root bark essential oil of Periploca sepium Bunge and its main component.
abstract: During our screening programme for agrochemicals from Chinese medicinal herbs, the root bark essential oil of Periploca sepium was found to possess strong contact toxicity against the fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster with a LD(50) value of 1.22 µg/adult. The main component of the essential oil was identified to be 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzaldehyde (78.8%), followed by linalool (2.8%) and (-)-α-terpineol (2.7%). The 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzaldehyde was further isolated and identified by bioassay-directed fractionation. The compound showed strong contact toxicity against D. melanogaster and the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) with LD(50) values of 1.47 and 6.99 µg/adult, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100094, China.
authors.forename: Sha Sha
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Guo Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Wei Ling
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhi Long
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031109:Periploca / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D009822:Oils, Volatile