Document Type : Original research article

Authors

• Abbas khani ¹
• Fatemeh Ordouni ²
• Najmeh Sahebzadeh ¹
• Ali Mirshekar ¹

¹ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

² M.Sc. Graduate, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

Abstract

In recent years, the use of herbal compounds to control pests has been proposed as one of the alternative sources to chemical control because of their selectivity, readily biodegradable, and low impacts on non-target organisms and the environment. In this research, qualitative photochemistry and the insecticidal effect of ethanol extract of aerial parts (without flowers) of Pimpinella stocksii Boiss. (Apiaceae) on one-day old adult aphids (Aphis gossypii) in a completely randomized design with four replications for each concentration, have been investigated under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1°C, 65 ± 5 % R. H, photoperiod 16:8 L: D). The results showed that the mortality of the tested insect increased significantly by increasing concentrations from 7 to 425 µg/cm². In the probit analysis, an ethanol extract of Pimpinella stocksii was found to be highly toxic to Aphis gossypii Glover, with a lethal concentration of 50 percent (LC₅₀), equal to 82.57 µg/cm². The mortality rate of one-day adult aphids treated with an ethanol extract of P. stocksii at concentrations ranging from 7 to 425 µg/cm² ranged from 25 to 80 percent. Preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of various bioactive and insecticidal constituents in P. stocksii, like glycosides (anthraquinones), flavonoids, steroids, saponins, and triterpenoid compounds. The purpose of the study is to conduct preliminary and qualitative identification of the active components of the Pimpinella stocksii extract as well as to investigate its insecticidal activity.

Highlights

• Herbal compounds have recently been offered as an alternative to chemical pest control due to their selectivity, biodegradability, and little impact on non-target animals and the environment.
• An ethanol extract of Pimpinella stocksii was shown to be very poisonous to Aphis gossypii Glover, with an LC₅₀ of 82.57 µg/cm².
• stocksii contains bioactive and insecticidal chemicals such as glycosides (anthraquinones), flavonoids, steroids, saponins, and triterpenoids.
• The study's goal is to identify the active components in Pimpinella stocksii extract and test its insecticidal activity.

Keywords

• Aphid
• Bioassay
• Contact toxicity
• Phytochemical compounds
• Pimpinella stocksii