Larvicidal Activity of Isoflavonoids from Muellera Frutescens Extracts Against Aedes Aegypti

• Published in: Natural product communications 2012-10, Vol.7 (10), p.1319-1322
• Main Authors: Nirma, Charlotte, Rodrigues, Alice M S., Basset, Charlie, Chevolot, Lionel, Girod, Romain, Moretti, Christian, Stien, Didier, Dusfour, Isabelle, Eparvier, Véronique
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aedes - physiology; Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Fabaceae - chemistry; French Guiana; Insecticide Resistance; Insecticides - toxicity; Isoflavones - toxicity; Larva - physiology; Plant Bark - chemistry; Plant Extracts - toxicity; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plant Roots - chemistry; Rotenone - analogs & derivatives; Rotenone - chemistry; Solvents; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
• ISSN: 1934-578X; 1555-9475
• DOI: 10.1177/1934578X1200701016

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.