Insecticidal Activity of Jatropha Extracts Against the Azalea Lace Bug, Stephanitis pyrioides (Hemiptera: Tingidae).

We assessed bioactivity of ethanolic extracts from 35 species of Jatropha L. against an ornamental plant pest, the azalea lace bug, Stephanitis pyrioides (Scott). Jatropha extracts were prepared by air-drying stem, root, or whole plant material, grinding the tissue into a fine powder, adding 70% ethanol, and then vacuum filtering the contents. Emulsions included the extract diluted to the desired concentration in de-ionized water and 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Treatments involved pipetting 20 µl of emulsion onto three adult lace bugs in each well of a 96-well microtiter plate. Treated wells served as replicates for each of six extract concentrations and were arranged according to a RCBD. Extracts of Jatropha clavuligera Müll. Arg. and J. ribifolia (Pohl) Ballion from 0.06 to 0.50% were the most acutely bioactive with bug mortality exceeding that of the positive control - azadirachtin, a terpenoid and chief active ingredient in neem oil. At 1.00%, extracts of J. clavuligera, J. ribifolia and azadirachtin killed 100% of bugs within 3 hr. Jatropha clavuligera induced the lowest LC50 and ranked first in insecticidal potency based on ≥98% of bugs dying within 3 hr. Extracts of J. curcas L., J. gossypiifolia L., J. excisa Griseb, and azadirachtin were equally bioactive; although after 3 hr, the three Jatropha species killed bugs faster. When compared with DMSO, all extract emulsions were bioactive against adult bugs. Thus, active ingredients in a new biopesticide could be sourced from the stem, root, or whole plant extracts of at least five Jatropha species.

Composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oils from Satureja wiedemanniana (Lallem.) Velen.

Satureja wiedemanniana (Lallem.) Velen (Lamiaceae) is an endemic species of Turkey. Aerial parts of the plant collected from eleven different localities in Turkey were subjected to hydrodistillation to yield essential oils which were analysed by a GC/MS system. Carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene and gamma-terpinene were found as the main constituents. Antibacterial evaluation of the oils was also carried out.

Essential oil composition of sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum) form Turkey.

Constituents of essential oils of sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) collected in different localities of Turkey in 1997 and 1998 have been identified by GC/MS. The effects of collection time and locality on the oil content and composition have been studied. The samples were classified into groups according to the main components: sabinene, gamma-terpiene, methyl thymol and terpinen-4-ol; gamma-terpinene, dill apiol and sabinene; gamma-terpiene, methyl thymol and limonene; p-cymene, methyl thymol and gamma-terpinen. (Z)-beta-ocimene and spathulenol were found with high percentage values in some samples. cis-p-Menth-4-en-1,2-diol was identified in only one oil. Early collected plants yielded oil rich in p-cymene. Effect of freezing plant did not have any important effect in oil composition.

Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Micromeria cristata subsp. phrygia and the enantiomeric distribution of borneol.

Water-distilled essential oils from herbal parts of Micromeria cristata (Hampe) Griseb. subsp. phrygia P. H. Davis (Endemic) (Lamiaceae) collected from three different localities were analyzed by GC-MS. The major component characterized in the three oils was borneol (27-39%). Other main components were determined as camphor (9-15%), caryophyllene oxide (4-6%), and trans-verbenol (4-6%) in the oils. Enantiomeric distributions of borneol and camphor in the oils were determined on a fused silica Lipodex-E capillary column using a multidimensional GC-MS system. The three essential oils and both enantiomers of borneol have been evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. They showed inhibitory effects on Gr (-) and Gr (+) pathogenic microorganisms.

Essential oils of annual sideritis species growing in Turkey.

Water distilled essential oils of five annual Sideritis species collected from different regions of Turkey were analysed by GC/MS. Results are tabulated and compared with main components of the essential oils of perennial Sideritis species from Turkey.