Management of Strawberry Grey Mold Disease Using Biocontrol Agents and Plant Extracts

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is a significant global soft fruit crop, prized for its nutrient content and pleasant flavor. However, diseases, particularly grey mold caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr. poses major constraints to strawberry production and productivity. Grey mold severely impacts fruit quality and quantity, diminishing market value. This study evaluated five B. cinerea isolates from various locations in the Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. All isolates were pathogenic, with isolate SGM 2 identified as highly virulent. Host range studies showed the pathogen-producing symptoms in the fava bean pods, marigold, gerbera, and chrysanthemum flowers and in the fava bean, gerbera, and lettuce leaves. In vitro tests revealed that neem extract (15% w/v) achieved the highest mycelial growth inhibition at 76.66%, while black turmeric extract (5% w/v) had the lowest inhibition at 9.62%. Dual culture methods with bio-control agents indicated that Bacillus subtilis recorded the highest mean inhibition at 77.03%, while Pseudomonas fluorescens had the lowest at 20.36% against the two virulent isolates. Pot evaluations demonstrated that B. subtilis resulted in the lowest percent disease index at 20.59%, followed by neem extract at 23.31%, with the highest disease index in the control group at 42.51%. Additionally, B. subtilis significantly improved plant growth, yielding an average of 0.32 kg compared to 0.14 kg in the control. The promising results of B. subtilis and neem leaf extract from this study suggest their potential for eco-friendly managing grey mold in strawberries under field conditions.

Assessing the Efficacy of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and Sambong (Blumea balsamifera) Extracts in Combating Black Pod Disease: Sustainable Solutions for Controlling Phytophthora megakarya in Cameroon’s Cocoa Plantations

The use of plant extracts as antifungal agents is gaining increasing attention, particularly for the control of black pod disease in cocoa. Despite extensive research, current strategies haven’t been entirely effective. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Cymbopogon citratus and Blumea balsamifora leaf extracts, both individually and in combination, against Phytophthora megakarya. We assessed the efficacy of the most promising combination (75% B. balsamifera, 25% C. citratus) after storage at room temperature for up to 9 days. Agar microdilution and in vivo bioassays were conducted to determine antifungal susceptibility and effectiveness. Blumea extract exhibited the highest overall inhibitory activity, with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (117 µl mL−1) while C. citratus had a narrower range of MIC (146 to 233 µl mL−1). The combination of C. citratus and B. balsamifera demonstrated a synergistic effect against P. megakarya, achieving growth inhibition on V8 media (92.72 ± 4.20% to 100%) and on artificially infected detached pod cortex (92.24 ± 4.53% to 98.75 ± 1.25%), which was not significantly different from the positive control (Ridomil). Furthermore, this combination maintained its effectiveness for up to 9 days at room temperature. These findings suggest that combining plant extracts can enhance their antifungal properties.

Mechanism of Rosae Rugosae Flos flavonoids in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and optimization of extraction process based on network pharmacology

This study aims to identify a natural plant chemical with hypolipidemic effects that can be used to treat high cholesterol without adverse reactions.Through network pharmacology screening,it was found that Rosae Rugosae Flos(RF)flavonoids had potential therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia and its mechanism of action was discussed.TCMSP and GeneCards databases were used to obtain active ingredients and disease targets.Venn diagrams were drawn to illustrate the findings.The interaction network diagram was created using Cytoscape 3.8.0 software.The PPI protein network was constructed using String.GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed using Metascape.The results revealed 2 active flavonoid ingredients and 60 potential targets in RF.The key targets,including CCL2,PPARG,and PPARA,were found to play a role in multiple pathways such as the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway,lipid and atherosclerosis,and cancer pathway in diabetic complications.The solvent extraction method was optimized for efficient flavonoid extraction based on network pharmacology prediction results.This was achieved through a single factor and orthogonal test,resulting in an optimum process with a reflux time of 1.5 h,a solid-liquid ratio of 1:13 g/mL,and an ethanol concentration of 50%.

Antimicrobial Activities of Extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla against Gram-Positive Oral Biofilm-Formers from School Children in Southwestern Nigeria and Toxicity Studies Using Brine Shrimps

The world will benefit from more effective antimicrobial agents against oral conditions arising from the actions of biofilm forming bacteria. Also, information is lacking on the oral biofilm-forming bacterial diversity in Southwestern Nigeria. In this study, we isolate and characterize oral biofilm producing bacteria in the oral cavities of schoolchildren in Southwestern Nigeria. We also investigate the antimicrobial properties of Macrosphyra longistyla extracts against the biofilm-formers and the toxicity of potent extracts. Samples were obtained from 109 schoolchildren aged 4 - 14 years from Lagos, Oyo and Osun States. Agar well diffusion technique was used in the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Toxicity testing was done using brine shrimps (Artemia salina). Biofilm-formers in this study are Klebsiella sp., Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Micrococcus sp. Ethanol leaf extracts had the highest activity against all biofilm-producing bacteria. Ethanol stem bark extract, which elicited activity against Klebsiella only, was found to be less toxic than the ethanol leaf extract. Staphylococcus showed >10 mm susceptibility to the ethanol and aqueous extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla. Streptococcus and Micrococcus were susceptible to the antimicrobial actions of the ethanolic leaf extracts. Although the ethanol extracts of the leaves had lower minimum inhibitory concentrations than the ethanol extracts of the stem bark, toxicity studies showed ethanol extracts of the stem-bark to be more toxic than the ethanol extracts of the leaves. In conclusion, ethanolic extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla show potential as sources of antimicrobials against gram-positive, oral biofilm-forming bacteria.

Research Progress of Deep Eutectic Solvents in Extraction of Plant Flavonoids

As a new type of green solvents,deep eutectic solvents(DESs)have the advantages of strong extraction ability,designability,simple preparation,low price,recoverability and biodegradation,and show great application potential in the field of plant flavonoid extraction.In this paper,the definition,classification and preparation methods of DESs were introduced.The effects of DES composition,molar ratio of DES components,water content of DES systems,liquid-material ratio,extraction temperature,extraction time and extraction auxiliary techniques on the extraction yield of plant flavonoids were expounded.The recycling methods of DESs were summarized.Existing problems of DESs in the field of plant flavonoids extraction were pointed out,and further research direction and trend were analyzed and prospected.

Evaluation of Medicinal Plant Extracts for Rice Blast Disease Control

The potential of medicinal plant extracts to control rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae was investigated. We screened 48 extracts prepared from 8 medicinal plant species and identified 20 extracts with ≥ 10% inhibitory activity against M. oryzae. Among them, ethanol extract of Paris polyphylla, ethyl acetate extract of Phellodendron chinense, and n-butanol extract of Menispermum dauricum plants exhibited 100%, 70% and 50% inhibition of M.

Inventory and Management of Fungi Associated with Banana Plant through the Use of Allium ampeloprasum and Cymbopogon citratus Extracts

Despite the nutritional, economic and medicinal values of banana plant, independent of the region and production system is confronted with some diseases such as the fungi disease. These fungal diseases are responsible for the low yields. The objective of this study was to improve the sanitary state of banana plant. To achieve this objective, fungi associated with banana leaves were isolated on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) culture medium and their identification was done on the basis of morphological and microscopic characteristics using reference documents. Antifungal activity of Allium ampeloprasum and Cymbopogon citratus extracts were evaluated in vitro on agar medium on the development of Pseudocercospora fijiensis, P. musicola and Pestalopsis sp. The results showed that banana plant harbours a diversity of fungal species, the most frequent being P. fijiensis (51.58%), Pestalopsis sp. (15.47%) and P. musicola (12.03%). Aqueous extracts of C. citratus at the concentration of 15 mg/ml, inhibited 100% of the radial growth of P. fijiensis and Pestalopsis sp with a fungitoxic activity. Similarly, ethanolic extract A. ampeloprasum inhibited at 100% the radial growth of Pestalopsis sp. This antifungal activity was fungistatic. These results suggest that the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the tested plants could be used as alternatives to chemical products in the fight against banana diseases especially Sigatoka. Hence further studies need to be undertaken to isolate the active compounds from these extracts with fungicidal potential.

Natural products and extracts from plants as natural UV filters for sunscreens:A review

Although solar exposure is necessary for human health,phototoxicology induced by excessive UVB and UVA radiation,which involves sunburns,skin aging and even tu-morigenesis,has been widely researched.Sunscreen is one of the most important ways to protect skin from UV phototoxic damage.As well as inorganic and organic UV filters,some natural products or plant extracts with aromatic rings in their structures,such as flavonoids or polyphenols,can absorb UV to reduce sunburn,acting as a natu-ral UV filter;they also show antioxidant or/and anti-inflammatory activity.This could explain why,although there are no officially approval natural commercial sun-filters,more and more commercial sunscreen products containing plant extracts are avail-able on the market.Here we summarize articles focusing on natural UV filters from plant published in the last 6 years,selecting the most significant data in order to better understand the photoprotective activity of natural products and extracts from plants,including their major constituents and main biological effects,methods for evaluating UV radiation resistance,anti-UV radiation experimental models and anti-UV radiation mechanisms.

Plant phenolic extracts for the quality protection of frying oil during deep frying:Sources,effects,and mechanisms

Protection of frying oil from deterioration by adding plant phenolic extracts to guarantee the quality of fried foods becomes the primary approach to promote the sustainable development of deep frying.Therefore,sources,antioxidant effects,and mechanisms of plant phenolic extracts recently applied in the quality protection of frying oil as well as challenges for the actual use of these extracts are comprehensively reviewed in this study.Spices,herbs,berries,tea leaves,and fruit and vegetable wastes are common sources for preparing phenolic extracts showing comparative antioxidant capacity referring to the synthetic antioxidants.The general effect of using these natural antioxidants is the improvement of thermal stability to extend the shelf life of frying oil and thus the modification of edible quality of fried foods.Specifically,the increases in common quality attributes and amount of hazardous products and the oxidative reduction of unsaturated triacylglycerols without negatively influencing the sensory quality are inhibited when suitable plant extracts are applied.The incorporation of plant phenolic extracts other than synthetic counterparts in frying oil has been demonstrated as a potential method to improve the frying performance of oils.However,challenges for the scale application of plant phenolic extracts,such as the purity,thermal stability,and antioxidant timing,are still needed to be further investigated.

Exploring the mechanism of Guizhi decoction’s“Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi”in treating plant nervous disorders based on weighted network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Guizhi decoction’s“Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi”in treating plant nervous disorders based on network pharmacology and molecular docking methods.Methods:The main active ingredients of Guizhi decoction were screened from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),and plant nervous disorder-related targets were screened from the Gene Cards database,OMIM database,and PharmGKB database.The intersection of the two was obtained.The intersection targets were used to draw a protein interaction network and a“Traditional Chinese Medicine-active ingredient-target”network using the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.9.1.The nodes in the“Traditional Chinese Medicine-active ingredient-target”network were weighted according to the“Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi”principle.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes,and gene ontology enrichment analysis were performed on the intersection targets.Molecular docking was used to verify the affinity between core targets and key ingredients.Results:A total of 225 effective components of Guizhi decoction were screened,among which 127 components could bind to 160 common targets and play a therapeutic role.The common targets were mainly enriched in 2785 gene ontology entries and 189 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways.Molecular docking confirmed that core targets could spontaneously bind to key ingredients.Conclusion:The key targets for the treatment of plant nervous disorders by Guizhi decoction are MAPK1,TP53,RB1,STAT3,MAPK3,MAPK14,etc.,which reflect the characteristics of the synergistic mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine with multiple components,targets,and pathways through the regulation of inflammatory signal pathways and oxidative stress processes.

Antibacterial activity of eight Iranian plant extracts against methicillin and cefixime restistant Staphylococcous aureus strains

Objective:To assess the antibacterial activity of eight Iranian plant extracts against Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) strains which were isolated from infected patients.Methods: The studied strains were isolated from urine,stool,blood and wound of infected patients and identified by biochemical tests.In further,the antibacterial activity of 8 ethanolic local plant extracts including Querqus brantii(Q.brantii),Ziziphus spina-christi(Z.spina-christi),Peganum harmala(P.harmala),Oliveira decumbens(O.decumbens),Galium tricornutum(G.tricornutum), Vitex pseudo negundo(Vi.pseudo negundo),Salvia officinalis(S.officinalis),Vaccaria pyramidata (V.pyramidata) were then evaluated using agar disc diffusion method.Results:A total of 9 isolates were isolated and identified as S.aureus.Antibacterial profile of the strains showed that the strains were resistant to methicillin and cefixime.The highest antibacterial activity against the studied strains were belong to Q.brantii,P.harmala,Z.spina-christi and O.decumbens vent extracts with 11-40 mm,15-28 mm,8-26 mm and 10-20 mm of diameters,respectively. Intermediate antibacterial activity was exhibited by G.tricornutum and Vi.pseudo negundo against some of the studied strains with 7-20 mm and 7-13 mm of diameters,respectively. Noteworthy,out of 9 studied strains;6 and 2 of them were resistant to the G.tricornutum and Vi. pseudo negundo extracts,respectively.The S.officinalis and Va.pyramidata,however,showed no antibacterial activity against the studied strains.Conclusions:The Q.brantii,P.harmala,Z. spina-christi and O.decumbens extracts were shown to possess strong antibacterial activity against methicillin and cefixime resistant S.aureus strains and can be considered as the promising natural antibiotics for treating the studied strains.

Effect of plant extracts on activity of some defense enzymes of apple fruit in interaction with Botrytis cinerea

The efficacy of seven plant extracts(neem,fennel,lavender,thyme,pennyroyal,salvia and asafetida) in controlling postharvest of apple(caused by Botrytis cinerea) was evaluated in vitro and in vivo.In vitro,all plant extracts treatments inhibited spore germination.Inhibitory rates of pore germination was 17.41 and 20.83% for neem extract treatment(methanolic and aqueous extracts,respectively) with significant difference compared to control(73.6 and 85.33%) for aqueous and methanol extracts.In the storage conditions,the application of aqueous extract of neem(at concentration of 25%) resulted in 89.11% reduction of disease severity compared with the untreated control.Results of enzymes activity showed the plant extracts can increase the activity of peroxidase,phenylalanine ammonia-lyase,β-1,3-glucanase and polyphenol oxidase in the presence of pathogens,in apple fruits.However,the results of this research revealed that application of neem extracts was more effective than the application of other plant extracts.According to this study,it could be concluded that plant extracts may be useful to control postharvest disease as a safe alternative option to chemical fungicides.

Larvicidal and repellent activity of medicinal plant extracts from Eastern Ghats of South India against malaria and filariasis vectors

Objective:To evaluate the larvicidal and repellent activities of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Acacia concinna（A.concinna）,Cassia siamea（C.siamea）.Conundrum sativum（C. sativum）,Cuminum cyminum（C.cyminum）,Lantana camma（L.camara）,Nelumbo nucifera （N.nucifera） Phyllanlhus amarus（P.amarus）.Piper nigrum（P.nigrum） and Trachyspermum ammi（T.ammi） against Anopheles stephensi（An.stephensi） and Culex quinquefasciatus（Cx. quinquefasciatus）.Methods:The larvicidal activity of medicinal plant extracts were tested against earl) fourth-instar larvae of malaria and filariasis vectors.The mortality was observed 24 h and 48 h after treatment,data were subjected to probit analysis to determine the lethal concentrations(LC50 and LC90) to kill 50 and 90 per cent of the treated larvae of the tested species. The repellent efficacy was determined against two mosquito species at five concentrations（31.25. 62.50.125.00.250.00,and 500.00 ppm） under the laboratory conditions.Results:All plant extracts showed moderate effects after 24 h and 48 h of exposure;however,the highest activity was observed after 24 h in the leaf methanol extract ol N.nucifera.seed ethyl acetate and methanol extract of P.nigrum against the larvae of An.Stephensi(LC50 = 34.76.24.54 and 30.20 ppm) and against Cx.quinquefasciatus(LC50= 37.49.43.94 and 57.39 ppm),respectively.The toxic effect of leaf methanol extract of C.siamea,seed methanol extract of C.cyminum,leaf ethyl acetate extract of N.nucifera.leaf ethyl acetate and methanol extract of P.amarus and seed methanol extract of T.ammi were showed 100%mortality against An.stephensi and Cx.quinquefasciatus alter 48 h exposer.The maximum repellent activity was observed at 500 ppm in methanol extracts of N. nucifera.ethyl acetate and methanol extract of P.nigrum and methanol extract of T.ammi and the mean complete protection time ranged from 30 to 150 min with the different extracts tested. Conclusions:These results suggest that the leaf and seed extracts of C.siamea.N.nucifera.P. amarus.P.nigrum and T.ammi have the potential to be used as an ideal ecofriendly approach for the control of the An.stephensi and Cx.quinquefasciatus.

Sperm immobilization activity of Allium sativum L. and other plant extracts

<abstract>Aim: To identify possible spermicidal agents through screening a number of edible medicinal plants with antimicrobial activity. Methods: Initial screening was made on the basis of ram cauda epididymal sperm immobilization immediately after addition of extracts. The most potent extract was selected and was evaluated on both ram and human spermatozoa. To unravel its mode of action several sperm functional tests were carried out, namely viability of cells, hypo-osmotic swelling test for membrane integrity and assays of membrane-bound enzyme 5'-nucleotidase and acrosomal marker enzyme acrosin. Results: The crude aqueous extract of the bulb of Allium sativum L. showed the most promising results by instant immobilization of the ram epididymal sperm at 0.25 g/mL and human ejaculated sperm at 0.5 g/mL. Sperm immobilizing effects were irreversible and the factor of the extract responsible for immobilization was thermostable up to 90 癈. On boiling at 100 癈 for 10 minutes, this activity was markedly reduced. Moreover, this extract was able to cause aggregation of ram sperms into small clusters after 30 minutes of incubation at 37 癈. However this property was not found in human spermatozoa. More than 50 % reduction in sperm viability and hypo-osmotic swelling occurred in treated sperm as compared with the controls, indicating the possibility of plasma membrane disintegration which was further supported by the significant reduction in the activity of membrane bound 5'-nucleotidase and acrosomal acrosin. Conclusion: The crude aqueous extract of A. sativum bulb possesses spermicidal activity in vitro.

Synergistic effects of plant extracts and antibiotics on Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from clinical specimens

Objective:This study has been done to evaluate the interaction between water extracts of Psidium guajava, Rosmarinus officinalis,Salvia fruticosa,Majorana syriaca,Ocimum basilucum,Syzygium aromaticum,Laurus nobilis,and Rosa damascena alone and then synergy testing of these extracts with known antimicrobial agents including oxytetracycline HCl,gentamicin sulfate,penicillin G,cephalexin and enrofloxacin.This study was conducted against five S.aureus isolates;one is Methicillin -resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and 4 Methicillin - sensitive Staphylococcus aureus(MSSA).Methods:Evaluation of the interaction between plant extracts and different antimicrobial agents has been done using well - diffusion and microdilution methods. Results:The results of the conducted experiments using well - diffusion method demonstrate that these plants showed in vitro interactions between antimicrobial agents and plant extracts were additive,while using microdilution method showed synergistic effects with significant reduction in the MICs of the test antibiotics against these strains of S.aureus.This change in MIC was noticed in all plant extracts against test antibiotics including these plants showed weak antibacterial activity by well diffusion method.Synergism effect was occurred in both sensitive and resistant strains but the magnitude of minimum fold reduction of inhibitory concentration in resistant strains especially MRSA strain was higher than the sensitive strains.Coclusion:This study probably suggests the possibility of concurrent use of these antimicrobial drugs and plant extracts in combination in treating infections caused by S.aureus strains or at least the concomitant administration may not impair the antimicrobial activity of these antibiotics.

Efficacy of Selected Plant Extracts against <i>Pyricularia grisea</i>, Causal Agent of Rice Blast Disease

Rice blast disease, caused by a seed-borne fungus Pyricularia grisea, is an important and serious disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.) worldwide. The disease has been reported to cause yield losses of up to 40% in Tanzania. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of aqueous extracts of Aloe vera, Allium sativum, Annona muricata, Azadirachta indica, Bidens pilosa, Camellia sinensis, Chrysanthemum coccineum, processed Coffee arabica, Datura stramonium, Nicotiana tabacum and Zingiber officinalis for control of rice blast disease (Pyricularia grisea) in-vitro and in-vivo. The results indicate that processed C. arabica at 10% and 25% (v/v) had the highest (81.12%) and (89.40%) inhibitory effect, respectively, against P. grisea. Aqueous extract from N. tabacum at 10% concentration ranked third (80.35%) in inhibiting P. grisea. These were followed by extracts from 25% A. vera (79.45%) and 25% C. coccineum flower (78.83%). The results also indicate that, extracts from A. indica, A. vera, A. sativum, C. arabica, D. stramonium, C. sinensis, Z. officinalis and N. tabacum did not have any phytotoxic effect on seed germination, shoot height, root length, dry weight, seedling growth and seedling vigour index. These plant extracts can thus be used for rice seed treatment to manage rice blast disease.

Evaluation of larvicidal activity of medicinal plant extracts against three mosquito vectors

Objective:To evaluate the mosquito larvicidal activity of plant extracts.Methods:The hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate,acetone,and methanol leaf,flower and seed extracts of Abrus precatorius（A.precatorius）,Croton bonplandianum（C.bonplandianum）,Cynodon dactylon （C.dactylon）,Musa paradisiaca（M.paradisiaca） and Syzygium aromaticum（S.aromaticum） were tested against fourth instar larvae of Anopheles vagus（An.vagus）,Armigeres subalbatus （Ar.subalbatus） and Culex vishnui（Cx.vishnui）.Results:The highest larval mortality was found in seed ethyl acetate extracts of A.precatorius and leaf extracts of C.bonplandianum, flower chloroform and methanol extracts of M.paradisiaca,and flower bud hexane extract of S. aromaticum against An.vagus with LC50 values of 19.31,39.96,35.18,79.90 and 85.90μg/mL;leaf ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of C.dactylon,flower methanol extract of M.paradisiaca, flower bud methanol extract of S.aromaticum against Ar.subalbatus with LC50 values of 21.67, 32.62,48.90 and 78.28μg/mL,and seed methanol of A.precatorius,flower methanol extract of M.paradisiaca,flower bud hexane extract of S.aromaticum against Cx.vishnui with LC50 values of 136.84,103.36 and 149.56μg/mL,respectively.Conclusions:These results suggest that the effective plant crude extracts have the potential to be used as an ideal ecofriendly approach for the control of disease vectors.This study provides the first report on the larvicidal activity of crude solvent extracts of different mosquitoes.

Isolation of Nine Microorganisms from Rotten <i>Dioscorea rotundata</i>(White Yam) and Antimicrobial Sensitivity Test with Five Plant Extracts

Five yam tuber varieties were investigated for microorganisms that cause yam tuber rot from five local government areas of Benue State, Nigeria, between the months of March 2014 to March 2015. Five fungi species: Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifera, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium marnessei and four bacteria species: Serratia marcescens, Erwinia caro-tovora, Klebsiella oxytoca and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were consistently isolated. Pathogenicity test carried out confirmed these organisms as the pathological agent of the rot. Antimicrobial activity of five plant aqueous extracts: Terminalia catapa (common name fruit), Passiflora edulis (passion fruit), Daniella oliveri (Chiha-Tiv), Ceiba pentandra (Vambe-Tiv), Jatropha tanjorensis (Catholic plant) was carried out on the isolated microorganims and they showed varing degrees of inhibition, the aqueous extract from Passiflora edulis, Ceiba pentandra and Jatropha tanjorensis were able to inhibit all the fungi completely.

The Control Efficiency of Plant Alcohol Extracts on the Laboratory Populations of Myzus persicae(Sulzer)and Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach)

The effects of semiochemicals extracted from 63 species of plants, on peach aphid (Myzus per-sicae) and mustard aphid (Lipaphis erysimi), were studied in laboratory. The deterrent rate, reproduction deterrent index and the interferential index of population control (IIPC) was used to evaluate the efficiency of semiochemicals on population control of the two target aphids. The results showed that the extracts of 34 species of common plants have noticeable effect on both aphid populations, especially, Xanthium sibiricum Petr. Et Widd. and Syngonium podophyllum Schott. These plant extracts could be used to construct the plant pro-tectant to protect crops.

Larvicidal activities of hydro-ethanolic extracts of three Cameroonian medicinal plants against Aedes albopictus

Objective: To investigate the larvicidal activity of Syzygium guineense(Myrtaceae)(S. guineense), Monodora myristica and Zanthoxylum heitzii(Rutaceae)(Z. heitzii) extracts against Aedes albopictus(Ae. albopictus).Methods: The larvicidal activity of the hydro-ethanolic extracts from these plant species was assessed at three different concentrations(50, 100 and 200 mg/L) on first-instar of Ae. albopictus larvae in comparison with untreated controls. Mortality rate was recorded daily for a period of 12 days. The values of LC_(50) and lethal time killing 50% of the tested individuals(LT_(50)) were calculated using the log-probit analysis.Results: The root extract of S. guineense exhibited the best activity with 100% mortality after 8 days of treatment at 200 mg/L, followed by the fruit extract of Z. heitzii with83.33% mortality at the same concentration. Nonetheless, larvae were most susceptible to the fruit extract of Z. heitzii both in terms of LC_(50)(39.89 mg/L) and LT_(50)(145.68 h). A statistically significant difference between the control and the group treated at 200 mg/L was noticed in all the extracts.Conclusions: The present study shows that the hydro-ethanolic extracts of S. guineense,Monodora myristica and Z. heitzii tested have significant larvicidal activity. These preliminary results are of great interest and some of these plant species can be proposed for the formulation of new bioinsecticides to control Ae. albopictus populations.