title: Larvicidal activity of isoflavonoids from Muellera frutescens extracts against Aedes aegypti.
abstract: The biological activity of extracts from the leaves, bark and roots of Muellera frutescens, an Amazonian ichtyotoxic plant, were evaluated to find new environmentally safe insecticides. The n-hexane extracts of bark, leaf, and root showed a strong toxic activity against Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae. Bioguided fractionation of the bark extract led to the isolation of seven isoflavonoids (12a-hydroxyelliptone, elliptone, (-)-variabilin, rotenone, rotenolone, tephrosin and deguelin). Rotenone and deguelin are responsible for the larvicidal activity of the plant. M frutescens leaves contain up to 0.6%, w/w, deguelin. These results justify the traditional ichtyotoxic use of M frutescens. The leaves contain a relatively high proportion of deguelin and, therefore, can be considered as a renewable source of this environmentally friendly insecticidal isoflavonoid.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, UMR Ecofog, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, 97300 Cayenne, France.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nirma
authors.forename: Alice M S
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Charlie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Basset
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chevolot
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Girod
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stien
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dusfour
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eparvier
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D005616:French Guiana; D007305:Insecticide Resistance; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000633:toxicity*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology*; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D012402:Rotenone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D007529:Isoflavones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D012402:Rotenone