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.

Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Extracts from the Leaves of Five Plants Used for the Treatment of Arterial Hypertension in Benin

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are nowadays real health problems in the world. High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for CVD and is affecting more and more people in Benin. The objective of our work is to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of the leaves of five plants used for the treatment of hypertension in Benin. Acute toxicity was evaluated on wistar rats which orally administered a single dose of 2000 mg/kg of body weight of hydro-ethanolic extract of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn., Persea americana MILL., Ipomoaea fistulosa Mart. ex Choisy., Heliotropium indicum L., Schrankia leptocarpa DC., and were monitored over a period of 14 days. Subacute toxicity was evaluated on rats which received a daily dose of 200 mg/kg of body weight of the plant leaf extract over a period of 28 days. Plant efficacy was assessed by measuring potassium in plant leaves. Administration of the single dose of the extract did not cause any deaths in rats;the weight of the rats varied depending on the extracts administered. Concerning the subacute treatment, the levels of aspartate amino transaminases (AST) and Alanine amino transaminases (AST) did not vary significantly after the 28 days of treatment with the different extracts. On the other hand, a significant increase in serum creatinine was observed in rats treated with extracts of Phyllanthus amarus. The leaves of Heliotropium indicum, Ipomoaea fistulosa and Phyllanthus amarus contain the highest levels of potassium. Among the five plants studied, only the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus seem to induce renal toxicity. Extracts from the leaves of Heliotropium indicum, Ipomoaea fistulosa might be the most effective in inducing hypotensive activity and do not show toxicity.

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.

Antibacterial activity of plant methanolic extracts on a field isolate of <i>Pseudomonas syringae</i>pvtomato from the Casablanca region (Morocco)

A bacterial field isolate recovered from infected tomato plants in a green-house at Sidi Rehal, a region near Casablanca city (Morocco), was identified as the gammaproteobacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 strain, the causal agent of bacterial speck. The bacterial isolate was characterized by morphological, biochemical and molecular biological tests, its growth curves carried out in various culture media, and its phytopathogenicity verified by infection tests. A screening was performed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of 12 selected Moroccan plants against the P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 isolate, and Agar-well diffusion and Broth microdilution methods were used to determine minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations. Among the methanolic extracts tested, only those of Nigella sativa, Geranuim robertianum, Aizoon canariense and Rubia peregrine showed clear inhibitory and bactericidal activities, although the highest values were achieved with N. sativa, a plant used in Morocco as a spice, condiment and medicinal treatment.

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.

An Overview of the Use of Medicinal Plants in Regenerative Dentistry

Aim: The oral cavity has the particularity to host multiple hard and soft tissues, in this paper, we will discuss the current therapies that lead to cell differentiation by regenerative therapies and the future alternatives proposed by medicinal plants and all the regenerative potential of these different tissues. Material and Methods: A detailed review of the literature through the various search engines: Scopus, PubMed, google scholar, Cochrane, etc., uses the selected keywords to explore the effect of the regenerative potential of several medicinal plants. Results: Through our research, we have proceeded to sort different medicinal plants, according to their repairing and regenerative potential on the different tissues of the oral cavity. Conclusion: Future studies are conceivable to explore the opportunities and potential provided by medicinal plants in the field of regenerative dentistry.

Evaluation of Potential Extracts Antioxydant (Aqueous, Hydro-Ethanolic and Ethanolic) of an Aquatic Plant from the River Djoue (<i>Ledermanniella schlechteri</i>)

The aim for this present study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts (AE), hydro-ethanolic extracts (HE) and ethanolic extracts (EE) obtained from an aquatic plant (L. schlechteri) using a simple and fast method that is the CCM. This method revealed the presence of phenolics and flavonoids at different levels but with higher antioxidant activity in EE compared to AE. Among the two families of antioxidants evaluated, the phenolic compounds were found to be higher on the EE (5.85 mgEAG/MS) followed by the HE (5.06 mgEAG/MS) and less and less important on the AE (3.661 mgEAG/MS). While the less significantly elevated flavonoids showed values of 1.146 mgECa/MS for EE, 0.406 mgECa/MS for HE et 0.181 mgECa/MS for AE. However, the anti-free radical activity was also evaluated. Unlike the antioxidant activity, the ant-free radical activity with a greater IC50 was observed on AE with a rate of 66.66 mg/mL, then less on the hydro-ethanolic and ethanolic extracts, respectively at levels of 26.15 mg/mL et 19.18 mg/mL.

Study on The Whitening Effect of a Composite Plant Extract

By compounding the cranberry extract,lavender flower extract,Kakadu plum extract,edelweiss flower/leaf extract and aloe vera extract into a composite plant extract(BIRC-Rosée WT100),the whitening effects of this composite plant extract in antioxidation,anti-inflammation,skin barrier maintenance,and inhibition of melanin production and transport were evaluated.By comparing the inhibitory effects on tyrosinase activity between the composite plant extract andα-arbutin,and then analyzing the decline of apparent chromaticity,apparent brightness and melanin content through 3D melanin skin model platform,the comprehensive whitening effect was evaluated and compared with that of kojic acid.The results showed that,the composite plant extract(BIRC-Rosée WT100)had a tyrosinase inhibition rate of 98.99%at the original concentration,which was much higher than that ofα-arbutin.In 3D melanin skin model,the apparent chromaticity and brightness could be effectively improved,and moreover,the total amount of melanin in the skin could be reduced,showing remarkable whitening effect.

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.

Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemical Screening in Acacia rigidula Benth. Leaves

This study aimed to compare the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities of A. rigidula extracts. It also aimed to identify phenolic acids present in the extracts. The 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and ferric thiocyanate lipid peroxidation antioxidant assays were performed. High performance liquid chromatography was used to identify phenolic acids. There was no solvent effect on TPC nor on scavenging activities, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (p > 0.05) among solvent extracts. On the other hand, 1:1:3 water: acetone: methanol extract (10.22 mg GAE/g sample) had significantly higher reducing potential than 50% ethanol extract (EE) (9.259 mg GAE/g sample) (p < 0.05);but EE was not significantly different from 80% methanol extract (9.781 mg GAE/g sample) (p > 0.05). Phenolic fraction designated as fraction 4 had the highest antioxidant activity (p < 0.05) with 69.49% ABTS scavenging activity and FRAP reducing potential, 22.26 mg of GAE/g sample. DPPH scavenging activities of fractions 4 (55.59%) and 5 (55.64%) were significantly higher than the other fractions (p A. rigidula extracts contain gallic, caffeic, vanillic, p-coumaric, salicylic acids and vanillin.

Toxicity and sub-lethal effect of endemic plants from family Anacardiaceae on oviposition behavior of Aedes albopictus

Objective: To evaluate the lethal concentration, oviposition deterrence and ovicidal activity of acetone extracts of Melanochyla fasciculiflora(M. fasciculiflora) leaf and Gluta renghas(G. renghas) leaf against Aedes albopictus(Ae. albopictus). Methods: To determine the lethal concentration of Anacardiaceae, ten test concentrations of the extracts ranging from 200 to 650 mg/L were selected for larvicidal bioassays and 25 early fourth instar larvae were exposed to the extracts for 24 h. The sub-lethal concentrations used for oviposition deterrence was the value of LC25, LC50 and LC75 from above study which is 235 mg/L, 470 mg/L and 705 mg/L for M. fasciculiflora extract and 187.5 mg/L, 375 mg/L and 562.5 mg/L for G. renghas extract, respectively. Twenty gravid Ae. albopictus were allowed to oviposit in different treated concentrations. For oviciding procedure, a total of 300 eggs of Ae. albopictus were soaked in solution with each treated concentration as mentioned above for 24 h. After 24 h, eggs were sieved and soaked in seasoned water, and hatching rates were calculated. For comparison, only seasoned water was used in control experiment.Results: G. renghas demonstrated lower LC50 value of 372.80 mg/L compared to M. fasciculiflora(467.90 mg/L). The activity index of negative oviposition revealed the deterrent effect and thus, caused a remarkable negative response resulting in oviposition of fewer eggs compared with control(without plant extract). The acetone extract of M. fasciculiflora was more effective than G. renghas extract in displaying oviposition deterrence potential since the latter did not possess the deterring effect within the concentration range tested. However, both plant extracts exhibited excellent oviciding effect as 92.33% of eggs failed to be hatched when treated with 705.0 mg/L of M. fasciculiflora and 86.67% with 562.5 mg/L of G. renghas. The oviposition deterrence and percentage of egg mortality were directly proportional to the concentrations of extracts in both plants tested. Conclusions: These results clearly indicate that the acetone extract of G. renghas could be served as potential larvicide, whereas M. fasciculiflora has better sub-lethal effect for oviposition deterrence and against Ae. albopictus as an oviciding agent.

Evaluation of extraction protocols for anti-diabetic phytochemical substances from medicinal plants

AIM To examine the efficacy of three extraction techniques: Soxhlet-extraction(SE), cold-maceration(CM) and microwave-assisted-extraction(MAE) using 80% methanol as solvent. METHODS The study was performed on each of 50 g of Vernonia amygdalina(VA) and Occimum gratissimum(OG) leaves respectively. The percentage yield, duration of extraction, volume of solvent used, qualitative and quantitative phytoconstituents present was compared. The biological activities(hypoglycemic effect) were investigated using albino wistar rat model of diabetes mellitus(n = 36) with a combined dose(1:1) of the two plants leaf extracts(250 mg/kg b.w.) from the three methods. Theextracts were administered orally, once daily for 21 d.RESULTS In this report, the percentage VA extract yield from MAE was highest(20.9% ± 1.05%) within 39 min using 250 m L of solvent, when compared to the CM(14.35% ± 0.28%) within 4320 min using 900 m L of solvent and SE(15.75% ± 0.71%) within 265 min using 500 m L of solvent. The percentage differences in OG extract yield between: MAE vs SE was 41.05%; MAE vs CM was 46.81% and SE vs CM was 9.77%. The qualitative chemical analysis of the two plants showed no difference in the various phytoconstituents tested, but differs quantitatively in the amount of the individual phytoconstituents, as MAE had significantly high yield(P > 0.05) on phenolics, saponins and tannins. SE technique gave significantly high yield(P > 0.05) on alkaloid, while CM gave significant high yield on flavonoids. The extracts from CM exhibited a significantly(P > 0.05) better hypoglycemic activity within the first 14-d of treatment(43.3% ± 3.62%) when compared to MAE(36.5% ± 0.08%) and SE methods(33.3% ± 1.60%). However, the percentage hypoglycemic activity, 21 d post-treatment with 250 mg/kg b.w. extract from MAE was 72.6% ± 1.03% and it was more comparable to 10 mg/kg b.w. glibenclamide treated group(75.0% ± 0.73%), unlike the SE(69.5% ± 0.71%) and CM(69.1% ± 1.03%). CONCLUSION CM technique produces extract with better hypoglycemic activity, whereas; MAE is a better option for high yield of phytoconstituents using less solvent within a short time.

In Vitro Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of 18 Plants from the Erkowit Region,Eastern Sudan

We investigated the antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity towards human CCRF-CEM leukemia cells of 57 extracts obtained from 18 plants collected in the Erkowit region,eastern Sudan.The antioxidant activity was determined by measuring the radical scavenging effects against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)and N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylendi-amine(DMPD),metal-chelation capacity,ferric-reducing(FRAP)and phosphomolibdenum-reducing antioxidant power(PRAP)methods using ELISA microtiter assays.Total phenol and flavonoid amounts of the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically.Cytotoxicity towards CCRF-CEM cells was evaluated by the resazurin reduction assay.Geranium favosum followed by Kalanchoe glaucescens,Malva parviflora,Aizoon canariense,and Coleus barbatus,respectively,possessed the highest antioxidant activity among the studied plants.Chrozophora oblongifolia and K.glaucescens exerted considerable cytotoxicity against CCRF-CEM leukemia cells.These plants may serve as source for the further development of natural antioxidant and antitumor agents.

Box-Behnken响应面法优化淫羊藿粗多糖的超声辅助提取工艺

【目的】探明淫羊藿粗多糖的超声辅助提取最佳工艺,为药用植物淫羊藿多糖提取及利用提供依据。【方法】以淫羊藿为研究对象,采用超声辅助提取法结合单因素试验筛选提取淫羊藿粗多糖的最佳提取温度、料液比和提取时间,在此基础上采用响应面法优化淫羊藿粗多糖提取工艺。【结果】淫羊藿粗多糖的最优提取工艺参数为提取温度60℃、料液比1∶20(g∶mL)、提取时间为40 min,此条件下淫羊藿粗多糖提取率为7.47%,与理论值(7.57%)基本相符。重复试验的相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.65%,满足试验要求。【结论】通过响应面法优化了淫羊藿粗多糖提取工艺,能够更加高效快捷进行淫羊藿粗多糖提取,且该提取工艺的提取得率较稳定,为今后更好开发淫羊藿粗多糖资源奠定基础。

The Transfer of Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe between Soils and <i>Allium</i>Plants (Garlic and Onion), and Tomato in the Southwest of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

Chemical extraction methods are generally used to evaluate trace element concentrations in soils. The adequacy of these soil tests is commonly assessed by comparing the extraction results with the metal contents in the plants. In this study, soil and leaf samples were collected in the southwest area of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Garlic (Allium sativum L.), onion (Allium cepa L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) are species of great regional economic importance. These crops need good mineral nutrition for optimum growth and sustainable production. Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe micronutrient uptake by plants was analyzed together with the trace element contents in the soil in which those plants were grown. A single EDTA-extraction procedure was performed to determine soil micronutrients. The amount of extractable-trace elements increased as the concentration of the chelating agent EDTA increased. The range of total element content in soil was: 15.68-31.5 mg·kg-1 for Cu, 75.0-386.3 mg·kg-1 for Zn, 542.5 -1686 mg·kg-1 for Mn and 28,325-32,675 mg·kg-1 for Fe. Micronutrient contents in mature leaf tissue were determined by the acid digestion method. Total and available micronutrient content in soil as well as total content in leaves were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Total micronutrient content and the available extractable-fraction in soils were below the critical values for plant growth. This was in agreement with the amount of micronutrients present in the leaf tissue. A strong relationship between the extraction data and the soil-plant transfer coefficients suggested an appropriate exchange of trace elements from soils to garlic, onion and tomato plants.

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.