Evaluating the Insecticidal and Fungicidal Efficiency of Acacia nilotica Pods Extract

Abbassy, M. M. S.; Ibrahim, H. Z.; Gab Alla, Mahenaz A. A.

doi:10.21608/jppp.2018.41410

Evaluating the Insecticidal and Fungicidal Efficiency of Acacia nilotica Pods Extract

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Environmental Studies, Institute of Graduate Studies & Research, Alexandria University, Egypt.

² Fruit Fly Research Section, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture - Sabahia, Alexandria.

10.21608/jppp.2018.41410

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the potential of phytochemical constituent’s occurrence in the extract of Acacia nilotica pods and assessment of its bioactivity. Chemical and GC-MS analyses of the ethanolic extract and its fractions of pods identified active compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids and tannins. Toxicity of extract proved variable toxicity effects for stages of Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera zonata. The extract constituents have demonstrated that the Ceratitis capitata egg was more susceptible against hatchability than for Bactrocera zonata, and generally, there was ovicidal efficacy noticed for both insects. Also, the essential oil of A. nilotica pods was exhibited larvicidal activity for both insects larva at various high concentrations of the tested plant extract. Concerning the adult stage, ethanolic extract of the tested tree pods proved repellent effects and insecticidal toxicity properties causing knockdown against the adults of Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera zonata. The ethanol extract of A. nilotica shows antifungal activity against plant fungal pathogens; Aspergillus flavus and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, where the rate of mycelial growth inhibition was increased by increasing the extract concentration. The extract of A. nilotica was found to have promising effects in controlling the investigated pests.

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