Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-79).

<p>Botanical pesticides are agricultural pest management agents which are based on plant extracts. In modern times these have been used as alternatives to synthetic chemicals in organic pest management. The practice of using plant materials against field and storage pests however has a long history in many indigenous and traditional farming communities across the world. During February and March 2009 a field study was conducted in Babati district in Manyara region, Tanzania to investigate the local use of botanical pesticides. The results from the field study were subsequently analyzed and contextualized in Nicanor Perlas model The Seven Dimensions of Sustainable Agriculture which was used as a framework theory. The analysis indicates that there are a variety of thresholds for the use of botanical pesticides in sustainable agriculture in Babati district besides the more obvious practical aspects. The latter parts of the paper discuss the differences between reductionist and holistic, indigenous and scientific ways of achieving knowledge with regard to plant based pesticides. The study concludes that ecological pest management is a holistic method based on the synergy of a variety of farming practices. Indigenous knowledge which is holistic, site-specific and experience based has therefore much to offer modern endeavours to practice a more sustainable agriculture and pest management strategies which consider the welfare of both humanity and the environment.</p>

This study identified new compounds with pest control activities. The two sources of candidates that were followed here were the main heartwood extract of Alaska Yellow Cedar (AYC) constituents and several semi-synthetic counterparts. Five compounds were isolated and identified for the first time in AYC heartwood in this research: two monoterpenes, two sesquiterpenes, and one lignan. The two monoterpenes were (1S)-2-oxo-3-p-menthenol (41) and (4R)-4-hydroxy-4-isopropyl-cyclohex-1-enecarboxylic acid (63). The two sesquiterpenes were (5S,7R,10R,11R)-eudesm-4(14)-ene-11,12-diol (46) and (4R,5S,7R)-1(10)- eremohpilen-11,12-diol (59). The lignan was (1R,2S,5R,6S)-2,6-bis-(3,5- dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo-[3.3.0]octane,(67). Structures for these compounds were confirmed on the basis of spectroscopic techniques such as 1- and 2-D NMR, high resolution MS and IR. The pest control activity studies of 15 compounds isolated or semi-synthesized from AYC heartwood were conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two types of studies were conducted--short-term (24h) and residual (over 1-4 weeks) activity for application against three types of pests related to human health - nymphal I. scapularis ticks, adult X cheopis fleas and adult Ae. eagypti mosquitoes. The 24 h studies revealed that nootkatone, valencene-13-aldehyde and valencene-13-ol were the most active among the studied compounds against the three pests. They exhibited highly improved pest control activities compared to valencene. This suggests that oxidation on both positions C-2 and C-13 of the eremophilane ring structure has an important effect on the activity. For compounds where the conformation of the eremophilane bicyclic ring has been altered, the activity seemed to diminish greatly. The above mentioned three compounds can be good candidates as pest control lead compounds. The residual studies revealed that the most active compounds exhibited activity profiles that generally decreased with time. Although the long-term safety of these compounds has yet to be evaluated, the natural origin and the long history of use of these compounds suggest that they can be promising candidates. This study revealed that the three most promising compounds in the 24 h study exhibited reasonably promising behavior, which makes them even stronger as pest control candidates. / Graduation date: 2004

Botanical pesticides are agricultural pest management agents which are based on plant extracts. In modern times these have been used as alternatives to synthetic chemicals in organic pest management. The practice of using plant materials against field and storage pests however has a long history in many indigenous and traditional farming communities across the world. During February and March 2009 a field study was conducted in Babati district in Manyara region, Tanzania to investigate the local use of botanical pesticides. The results from the field study were subsequently analyzed and contextualized in Nicanor Perlas model The Seven Dimensions of Sustainable Agriculture which was used as a framework theory. The analysis indicates that there are a variety of thresholds for the use of botanical pesticides in sustainable agriculture in Babati district besides the more obvious practical aspects. The latter parts of the paper discuss the differences between reductionist and holistic, indigenous and scientific ways of achieving knowledge with regard to plant based pesticides. The study concludes that ecological pest management is a holistic method based on the synergy of a variety of farming practices. Indigenous knowledge which is holistic, site-specific and experience based has therefore much to offer modern endeavours to practice a more sustainable agriculture and pest management strategies which consider the welfare of both humanity and the environment.

The Labiatae is a large family that occurs worldwide and have species that are adapted to almost all habitats and altitudes. Plectranthus is in this family. Plectranthus species are beautiful South African shrubs. The genus Plectranthus belongs to subfamily Nepetoideae of tribe Ocimeae. The test microorganisms were chosen carefully as each one belonged to a different taxonomic group of fungi and bacteria. Biologically active mono- and sesquiterpenoids are frequently found in many species of Plectranthus but there are little published data that directly link the presence of specific compounds in a species with the traditional uses of that species. Various Plectranthus spp. were collected and dried, followed by chemical extraction using various solvents. Dichloromethane extracts of P. fruticosus and P. ecklonii were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities using the agar well and trench diffusion methods. It was found that both methods produced inconsistent results. The trench method required a bigger volume of plant extract to be filled into the well, hence, better biological activity was observed with that method. The well method required a smaller volume therefore poor activity was noted with this assay. The size of inhibition zones are dosage dependent. Overall, both plant extracts exhibited antibacterial but no antifungal properties. The pure compound (1), 11-Hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)-5,7,9(11),13-abietatetraen-12-one, isolated from P. ecklonii was found to be the same as compound (10) which was isolated from P. lucidus. P. hadiensis was extracted using dichloromethane and hexane. The dichloromethane extract proved to contain much higher biological activity than the hexane extract. Three pure compounds, identified as diterpenes, were isolated from the crude dichloromethane extract of P. hadiensis. 6,7-Dihydroxyroyleanone-6,7,12-trihydroxy-8,12-abietadiene-ll,14-dione (2) and 7(alpha)-formoxy-6(beta)-hydroxyroyleanone (3) exhibited good antibacterial and antifungal activity but not against all the test organisms. The remaining pure compound, 7(alpha)-acetoxy-6(beta)hydroxyroyleanone (4), exerted good antifungal activity. This was measured by the inhibition zone which measured up to 14mm when compound 4 was tested against S. sclerotiorum. When testing the hexane extract against the Bacillus formulations, the pellets that were suspended once in Ringer's solution produced bigger inhibition zones than the pellets that were suspended twice. This could be due to bacterial cells washing out of the suspension. The dichloromethane extract of P. praetermissus proved to be very active against X campestris, producing an inhibition zone of 8 - 20mm. Two pure compounds were isolated from the crude extract and identified as diterpenes. Compound 5, 20(10--> 5)-abeo1( 10),6,8,11,13-abietapentaene-11,12,16-triol, and compound 6, 11,12,15-trihydroxy-20( 10-->5)-abeo-abieta-1-(10),6,8,11,13-pentaene are both known compounds which have previously been isolated from Salvia apiana. P. cilatus was extracted with chloroform and tested against various microorganisms for antifungal and antibacterial activities. It showed poor biological activity overall, except against S. sclerotiorum. The crude dichloromethane extract of P. zuluensis exhibited good antibacterial activity, which was limited to the Gram negative test organism. The extract produced an inhibition zone of 10-12mm when tested against X campestris. Pure compound 7, 2-hydroxy-4,6dimethoxyacetophenone, exerted excellent inhibition against B. subtilis and S. sclerotiorum. Neither compound 8, 1,2,4-trimethoxy-5-(2-propenyl)-benzene, nor compound 7, inhibited Candida spp., F. oxysporum and R. solani. Two diterpenes were isolated from the aerial plant parts of P. lucidus with dichloromethane and their structures elucidated by spectroscopic means. The pure compound 9, 11-hydroxy19-( 3-methyl-2-butenoyl)-5,7,9(11), 13-abietatetraen-12-one, showed moderate antifungal activity whereas compound 10, 11-hydroxy-2-(4-hroxybenzoyl)-5,7,9(11),13-abietatetraen12- one, showed high antifungal activity against R. solani, S. sclerotiorum and F. oxysporum. The crude and the pure compounds (formerly isolated from P. parviflorus) showed inhibition against X campestris. The dichloromethane extracts of P. purpuratus subsp. purpuratus and P. purpuratus subsp. tongaensis exhibit similar levels of biological activity when tested against the same test organisms. Poor antibacterial activity was noted with both extracts. However, excellent antifungal activity was depicted when both plant extracts were tested against F. oxysporum, R. solani and S. sclerotiorum. However, the highest biological activity was noted by R. solani which was totally inhibited by both dichloromethane extracts. The pure compound (11) isolated from P. purpuratus subsp. purpuratus was found to have the same chemical structure as compound (9) previously isolated from P. lucidus. The bioautography assay was used to detect and activity-guide the fractionation of antimicrobial compounds from all the Plectranthus spp. tested. The TLC fingerprint showed a zone of clearing around the lower bands of P. fruticosus and P. ecklonii when the plate was sprayed with a suspension of B. subtilis. This result is consistent with the agar well diffusion method. Clear zones were also noted on some bands of the extracts of P. zuluensis, P. ciliatus, P. hadiensis and P. praetermussis. Clear zones indicate inhibition of growth. Other plant extracts tested for biological activity were from the family Lamiaceae, however, not of the genus Plectranthus. Persicaria senegalensis, Pycnostachys reticulata and Ficus sur possessed moderate biological activity overall. It is interesting to note that P. senegalensis and F. sur exert high biological activity against Candida spp. This could be useful as herbal remedies for yeast infections. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

This thesis explores the robustness and the versatility of pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) for a variety of analytes and matrices. Applications discussed include: selective extraction of alkaloids in goldenseal followed by their degradation studies; in-cell clean-up of pesticides in medicinal plants employing custom made molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) sorbents; in-cell pre-concentration followed by desorption of aflatoxins in plants with MIPs; desorption of pesticides from electrospun nanofiber sorbents; and removal of templates from MIPs sorbents. It was demonstrated that selective extractions could be achieved by just changing the temperature of water while adjusting the pressure. For instance, the alkaloids in goldenseal (hydrastine and berberine), were extracted at 140 °C, 50 bars, 1 mL min⁻¹ in 15 min; organochlorine pesticides from medicinal plants were extracted at 260 °C, 80 bars, 1 mL min-1 in 10 min; while aflatoxins AFG2, AFG1, AFB2 and AFB1 were extracted at 180 °C, 60 bars and a flow rate of 0.5 mL min⁻¹ in 10 min. The selectivity of PHWE was further enhanced by combining it with selective MIPs sorbents at higher temperatutes. In-cell clean-up of interfering chlorophyll was successfully removed from the medicinal plants during pesticides analysis while clean-up of aflatoxins AFG2, AFG1, AFB2 and AFB1 was achieved in two extraction cells connected in series. Ultrasound was also combined with PHWE for extraction of hydrastine and berberine at 80 °C and 40 bars in 30 min. PHWE was further evaluated for removal of templates from quercetin, phthalocynine and chlorophyll MIPs. The templates were thoroughly washed off their MIPs within 70 min with PHWE compared to over 8 h for Soxhlet and ultrasound assisted extraction. Pesticides were also desorbed from electrospun nanofibers at 260 °C, 80 bars in 10 min employing only water at 0.5 mL min⁻¹. In the light of green chemistry, the decrease in the usage of organic solvents was 100%, resulting in no organic solvent waste.

Read the abstract in the section 00front of this document. / Thesis (PhD (Plant Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Microbiology and Plant Pathology / unrestricted

Diploma thesis is focused on study of compounds of terpenic nature in mint plants. Terpenic compounds are volatile hydrocarbons formed by several isoprenoid units with low molecular weight which cause the typical smell of plants. Presence of these compounds cause that plants seem to be fungicidal, bactericidal and insecticidal. Due to these properties, they can be used as botanical pesticides which are not toxic and no resistant organisms occur. Each plant contains relatively low concentrations of these compounds and therefore elicitors must be used for the increasing of terpenes amount. Elicitors activate defensive mechanisms in the plant leading to higher defense abilities and production of secondary metabolites. The identification and quantification of analytes was determined by gas chromatography in connection with mass spectrometry.

Plants produce a wide range of insectistatic phytochemicals for protection against the damages caused by phytophagous insects. They can harm insect eggs, nymphs, larvae and adults promoting mortality, repellency, phagodeterrence, morphological deformations, prolongation of development, reduce nutrient-intake etc. Plant bioactive compounds have been used to control insect pests in agriculture since ancient times, but during Green Revolution many of them were replaced by synthetic compounds such as organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids. Nonetheless, the excessive and irrational use of synthetic insecticides in agriculture led to environmental and health issues and the selection of resistant insect pest populations. As a response to these negative aspects of synhtetic insecticides, it was developed stringent regulatory laws and requirements for pesticide registration at Governmental Regulatory Agencies resulting in higher costs to develop new commercial synthetic insecticides. Inevitably, scientific studies with bioprospection of insectistatic compounds from plants have grown in order to discover safer insecticides with new modes of action. Therefore, in the present study, it was performed a screening with 25 ethanolic extracts from 17 Solanaceae species in order to evaluate their bioacticity against the Mexican bean weevil, Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman, 1833) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae). Ethanolic extracts from leaves of Solanum lycocarpum A. St.-Hil and flowers of Brugmansia suaveolens (Willd.) Bercht. & J.Presl were the best ones; thereby they were selected for bioguided fractionations (Solid Phase Extraction) based on toxicological bioassays in order to identify their bioactive compounds. The chemical fractions from S. lycocarpum killed adults of Z. subfasciatus, reduced the number of eggs per sample (due to oviposition deterrence and the decrease of fecundity), and reduce F1 progeny and damages on bean grains, and also reduced the fecundity of F1 progeny. The observed bioacticity promoted by fractions of S. lycocarpum is possibly due to the presence of whitanolides and alkaloids. On the other hand, bioactive fractions from B. suaveolens promoted an intense reduction on egg-adult viability preventing the embryonic development in Z. subfasciatus eggs. Consequently, F1 progeny and damages on bean grains were completely inhibited as well. Moreover, they also killed adults of Z. subfasciatus, which demonstrated signs of hyperexcitation, a symptom related to neurotoxic insecticides. It was identified fatty acid derivatives in the bioactive fraction BSHidAcF1-1-C through a Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry analysis. The results acquired in the present study demonstrate the potential of prospecting insectistatic compounds in Solanaceae species in order to protect bean grains against the damages promoted by Z. subfasciatus in warehouses. / As plantas produzem um ampla gama de compostos químicos insetistáticos para sua própria proteção contra os danos causados por insetos fitófagos. Tais compostos podem prejudicar os insetos nas fases de ovo, ninfa, larva e adulto promovendo mortalidade, repelência, fagodeterrência, deformações morfológicas, prolongamento do desenvolvimento, redução da absorção de nutrientes etc. Compostos bioativos de plantas têm sido usados para o controle de insetos-praga na agricultura desde a antiguidade, mas durante a Revolução Verde muitos deles foram substituídos por inseticidas sintéticos como os organoclorados, organofosforados, carbamatos e piretroides. No entanto, o uso excessivo e irracional dos inseticidas sintéticos na agricultura gerou problemas ambientais, de saúde e a seleção de populações resistentes de insetos. Como uma resposta a esses aspectos negativos dos inseticidas sintéticos, foram elaboradas regulamentações legais mais rigorosas para o registro de defensivos agrícolas nas agencias regulatórias governamentais resultando em custos mais elevados para o desenvolvimento de novos inseticidas sintéticos comerciais. Inevitavelmente, isso incentivou pesquisas científicas para a bioprospecção de compostos insetistáticos com o intuito de se descobrirem inseticidas mais seguros com novos modos de ação. Portanto, no presente estudo, foi realizada uma triagem com 25 extratos etanólicos provenientes de 17 espécies de Solanaceae para avaliar a bioatividade deles sobre o caruncho-do-feijão, Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman, 1833) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae). Os extratos etanólicos das folhas de Solanum lycocarpum A. St.-Hil e de flores de Brugmansia suaveolens (Willd.) Bercht. & J.Presl foram os melhores dentre todos; dessa forma eles foram selecionados para uma série de fracionamentos químicos (Extração em Fase Sólida) com base em bioensaios toxicológicos para identificar compostos bioativos. As frações químicas de S. lycocarpum mataram os adultos de Z. subfasciatus, reduziram o número de ovos (devido à deterrência de oviposição e redução na fecundidade), reducão na progênie F1 e nos danos nos grãos de feijão, e também reduziu a fecundidade da progênie F1. A bioatividade promovida pelas frações de S. lycocarpum se deve, possivelmente, à presença de vitanolídeos e alcaloides. Por outro lado, as frações bioativas de B. suaveolens promoveram um efeito ovicida inibindo o desenvolvimento embrionário nos ovos de Z. subfasciatus. Consequentemente, a progênie F1 e os danos nos grãos também foram completamente inibidos. Além disso, tais frações também promoveram mortalidade dos adultos de Z. subfasciatus, que demostraram sinais de hiperexcitação, um sintoma característico de inseticidas neurotóxicos. Na fração bioativa BSHidAcF1-1-C foram identificados derivados de ácidos graxos por meio de Cromatografia Gasosa com Espectrometria de Massas. Os resultados adquiridos no presente estudo demonstram o potencial de prospectar compostos insetistáticos de espécies da família Solanaceae para proteger grãos de feijão armazenado contra os danos promovidos por Z. subfasciatus em armazéns.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Horticulture)) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002. / "A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney for the fulfillment of study for a degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Horticulture" "Principal supervisor: Robert Spooner-Hart, co-supervisor: Andrew Beattie, co-supervisor: Alfie Meats" Bibliography : leaves 231-265.