NATURAL PESTICIDES
Lecturer: Pharm (Mrs) M.N Adebowale
Course: PCG 302 (Phytochemistry II)
Department of pharmacognosy
Faculty of pharmacy
Olabisi onabanjo university
PEST
Pests are living organisms that are found
where they are unwanted and causes
damages, injuries or destructions to
crops, humans or other animals.
PESTCIDES
Pesticides are substances or mixtures of
substances intended for preventing,
destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest.
They are a range of products used to
control pests such as rats and mice, weed,
insects, mold or fungi, slugs.
Classification of Pesticides
PEST PESTICIDES
INSECTS INSECTICIDES
WEEDS HERBICIDES
FUNGI FUNGICIDES
RODENTS (RATS/MICE) RODENTICIDES
SLUGS/SNAILS MOLLUSCIDES
NEMATODES NEMATICIDES
Pesticides of Botanical Origin
There are two categories of Pesticides, those from natural
sources and the synthetic ones.
Pyrethrum is a pesticide from a botanical source and several
synthetic compounds like Pyrethrum have been developed.
such as synthetic pyrethrin-like compound- allethrin
Pyrethrum is from the dried flower heads of Chrysanthemum
cinerariaefolium, family Compositae
They are cultivated in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Japan,
Eastern Europe, Brazil, and India.
PYRETHRUM
Kenya has an altitude of about 1,900-2,700m and an annual
rainfall of 76-180cm.
The altitude is important and gives a low night temperature of
5-150C which stimulates bud production.
9% of insecticidal activity are in the flower which are
harvested for about 9months in a year.
Though the Pyrethrum flowers are not toxic to insects before
drying.
The closed flower – heads are about 6-9mm in diameter and
about 9-12mm in diameter when opened.
Characteristics of the Insecticides from the Chrysanthemum species
Other species used as insecticides include Chrysanthemum
coccineum and Chrysanthemum marshalli.
The powder of the Chrysanthemum species has parenchyma
with aggregate crystals, T shaped hairs, several spherical
pollen grains.
The Kenya flowers contains not less than 1.3% Pyrethrin, the
Japanese has 0.9 – 1.0% and the Dalmatian about 0.7-0.8%.
The insecticidal properties in Pyrethrum are due to two groups
of the esters:
CHEMICAL STRUCTURES OF PESTICIDES
1. Pyrethrin I, Jasmolin I, cinerin I are esters of chrysanthemic acid (chrysanthemum
monocarboxylic acid).
2. Pyretrin II, Jasmolin II and Cinerin II are esters of pyrethric acid.
Products with Pyrethrum and Pyrethrin
The pyrethrum extract is used in the preparation
of dusting powder and the powder has about 0.36-
0.44% pyrethrin, half of which is pyrethrin I.
In addition, some of the commonly sold
Effect of Pyrethrum or Pyrethrin of botanical sources on
Insects?
It exhibits a knock-down action (which is due
to pyrethrin II).
Lethal to insects (Pyrethrin I)
Advantages of using Pyrethrum and Pyrethrin Products from Natural Sources
They are biodegradable
They have high potency and selective toxicity
Ability to reduce disease transmission
They are cost effective
They are relatively stable in the environment
Side effects of synthetic insecticides
Environmental pollution
Health hazards
Resistance of insects and pest resurgence
The synthetic analogues of pyrethrum possess higher
insecticidal effects (about 1,000 times higher) than that from
natural sources, and are more photostable.
These characteristics have displaced preference for natural
pyrethrin. However, they are still useful in food processing
(insecticidal spraying of edible fruits and vegetables shortly
before harvesting).
Other Botanical Sources of Pesticides
Dried rhizomes and roots of Derris elliptica, D. malaccensis;
family Leguminoseae
Dried roots of Lonchocarpus utilis, L. urucu; family
Leguminoseae
Derris spp and Lonchocarpus spp contains about 3-10%
rotenone (flavone derivatives), a colourless crystalline
substance which is insoluble in water but soluble in organic
solvents.
Nicotiana tabaccum and other species of Nicotiana are
sources of insecticides of plant origin. (Nicotine, Nornicotine,
anabasine all exhibit insecticidal properties).
Other Botanical Sources of Pesticides
Artemisia argyi was investigated for its ability to kill the
grain insect; Lasioderma serricorne (cigarette beetle)
responsible for destroying insect pests of stored cereals,
tobacco, oil seeds, dried fruits.
The essential oils present in the plant proved effective
against the pest insects. The oil contained eucalyptol, B-
pinene, B-caryophyllene, camphor, thujone and other
compounds.
Larvicides (Plants with Larvicidal Activities)
Larvicides are insecticides which eliminate
pests before they develop into Adult stage that
is, they destroy the larva stage.
This is used in the elimination of the larva of
the Anopheles spp, Culex pipens.
Examples of Larvicides from the Nigerian
Flora
Azadirachta indica (Neem), Citrus spp,
Mangifera indica, Cocos nucifera, Anacardium
occidentale, Ricinus communis
Paullina pinnata, Buccholzia coriacea and
Funtumia africana were all tested against the
third and fourth instar larvae of Anopheles
gambiae and Culex pipens respectively.
Herbicides
Herbicides are compounds used to control weeds
particularly those who compete with crops for edaphic
resources (water, nutrients), space and sunlight.
Many weeds are hosts of pathogens which in turn
lead to occurrence and spread of plant diseases.
Some botanical herbicides include: Phytophthora
palmivora for the control of stranglervine (Morrenia
odorata) in Citrus Plantations.
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) is an acute and chronic
disease of humans caused by parasitic flatworms
(trematode worms) called Schistosomes in the
Tropical and Subtropical Countries.
The freshwater snails act as intermediate hosts for
the blood flukes causing the disease.
Symptoms of Schistosomiasis
Blood in urine (haematuria)
Cough
Abdominal pains Headache
Blood in the stool Stomach pain
Diarrhoea
Joint pains
Rash
Itchy skin Muscle aches
Chills
Schistosomiasis Life Cycle
This disease causes intestinal and bladder damage.
When people suffering from Schistosomiasis contaminate
fresh water sources with excreta and urine containing the
parasite eggs, these hatch to miracida in the water
Which then locates the freshwater snail and develops into
sporocyst, these sporocyst grow and are then released by
the snail as cercaria.
These larva form of the parasite infects humans when
released by the freshwater snails by penetrating the
human skin during wading in infested water.
Schistosomiasis Life Cycle
They then shed their forked tail to form a schistosomula.
In the human body the larva develops into adult schistosome
which lives in the blood vessels where the female releases
eggs and are passed out of the body in the faeces and urine
to continue the life cycle.
A few others remain in the human body causing damages to
the intestines and bladder.
Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium are
prevalent in Africa others are Schistosoma japonicum,
Schistosoma mekongi.
Schistosomiasis Life Cycle
S. haematobium infects snails of the genus Bulinus.
S. japonicum infects snails of the genus Oncomelania.
S. mekongi infects snails of the genus Neutricula
S. mansoni infects snails of the genus Biomphalaria
A means of preventing Schistosomiasis is by
eliminating the snail hosts.
One of the ways this can be achieved is by using
pesticides known as Molluscicides for this purpose.
Schistosomiasis Life Cycle -Life cycle of S. haemotobium, S. mansoni and S.
Japonicum
Molluscicides
Molluscicides are pesticides used to eliminate
slugs and snails that are responsible for destruction
of food plants and who act as agents for disease-
causing organisms.
There are two types of Molluscicides: Synthetic and
Natural Molluscicides.
Molluscicides of Plant Origin
Members of the families Leguminosae, Araliaceae, Asteraceae and
Liliaceae have been identified as main sources of Molluscicides.
Molluscicide of plant origin are preferred because:
• They are ecologically friendly
• Biodegradable
• Culturally acceptable
• Readily available
• Cheaper
• Less polluting than the synthetics
• A self-reliant control strategy
Molluscicides of Plant Origin
One of such plants is the Ethiopian plant (the soap berry)
Phytolacea dodecandra
which is effective in the waterways of snails.
Another of such plant is Swartzia madagascariensis
(Leguminosae) found throughout Africa
It exhibits folklore medicinal Molluscicidal and insecticidal
uses
Molluscicides of Plant Origin
The spirostanol saponins, from Balanites aegyptiaca are
potent molluscicides.
Balanitin 1,2,3 have been isolated from this plant.
Furthermore, linalool from Cinnamomum camphora (L)
extracts has been used to eliminate Oncomelania
hupensis snails.
Linalool therefore could also be used to treat
Schistosoma japonicum infection.
Effect of the molluscicides on the host
snails
Muscular and spiral twisting of the snail body
Destruction and cell degeneration
Shrinking of the hepatopancreas of the snails
Other Plants that have also exhibited Molluscicidal
activities include:
The aqueous extracts Thevetia peruviana, Alstonia
scholaris and Euphorbia pulcherrima as well as the latex
of Euphorbia hirta.
