Larvicidal Activity of Extracts and Triterpenoids from Lantana camara

Abstract

Extracts of the leaves, twigs, stems and roots of Lantana camara Linn. (Verbenaceae) were solvent-partitioned and screened for activity in the brine shrimp lethality test (BST). The active fractions yielded known oleanonic acid (1), lantadene A (2) and oleanolic acid (3), which were very toxic to brine shrimp larvae. Compounds 1-3 were not lethal to Spodoptera littoralis Biosduval (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stal. (Hemiptera: Coreidae) and Aphis craccivora Koch (Homoptera: Aphididae) when tested at 5000µg/ml. Compound 2, however, suppressed the fecundity of C. tomentosicollis at this concentration.