INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF CHENOPODIUM ALBUM AGAINST PLUTELLA XYLOSTELLA ON BRASSICA OLEACERA VAR. ACEPHALA

The present work deals with the influence of the powders, aqueous and methanolic extracts of Chenopodium album plant on survival of the Brassica oleacera moth, Plutellaxylostella (Diamondback moth), as well as, the phytochemical studies of the chemical constituents present in the leaves extract of C. album. The powders tested were obtained from the roots and the leaves of the plant. The insecticidal activity was evaluated using the leaf disc immersion method. The powders of the leaves (IC50 value 100% at 0.1 g and 0.3 g, respectively), powder of the roots (IC50 values 77.5% at 0.1 g and 95.0% at 0.3 g), aqueous extract of the leaves (IC50 values 50.0% at 0.1 v/v and 80.0% at 0.2 v/v), aqueous extract of the roots (IC50 values 52.0% at 0.1 v/v and 90.0% at 0.2 v/v) and the methanolic extract of the roots (IC50 value 72% at 0.1 v/v) showed insecticidal activity against P. xylostella, while the methanolic extract of the leaves was inactive against the moths tested. The cabbage leaves were used as control. In addition, from the methanolic extract of the leaves two known compounds were isolated: a flavonol glycoside derivative, hyperin (1) and a drimane-type sesquiterpenoid, albicanol (2) were isolated using different chromatographic methods. The structures of these compounds were stablished based on 1D and 2D NMR measurements and comparison with the reported spectroscopic data in the literature. This is the first study reporting the occurrence of drimane-type sesquiterpenoids in the family of Chenopodiaceae. The results showed that C. album has chemical components that could be used as insecticides agents against P. xylostella.