Insecticidal and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Activity of Veratrum nigrum Alkaloidal Extract against the German Cockroach ( Blattella germanica )

• Published in: Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 414 - 420
• Main Authors: Cai, Xianghai, Li, Qingfeng, Xiao, Lei, Lu, Hailiang, Tang, Jian, Huang, Jianbo, Yuan, Jianzhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Iran Tehran University of Medical Sciences 01.12.2018
• Subjects: Acetylcholinesterase inhibition; Animal behavior; Cockroaches; Constituents; Enzymes; German cockroach; Herbal medicine; Humidity; Insecticidal activity; Insecticides; Laboratories; Medicinal plant; Oils & fats; Original; Public health; Toxicity; Veratrum nigrum; China; Acetylcholinesterase inhibition; German cockroach; Insecticidal activity; Veratrum nigrum; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 2322-1984; 1735-7179; 2322-2271
• DOI: 10.18502/jad.v12i4.361

(Liliaceae) is perennial medicinal plant widely used to treat various conditions. To determine its insecticidal properties against the German cockroach ( ), several laboratory tests were carried out. A 4kg dry sample of root was purchased from the medicinal material market in Yunnan Province in 2015, China. In contact toxicity tests, alkaloidal extract was topically applied to the abdomen of cockroaches using a micro-applicator. In vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity tests were performed using a modified Ellman method. alkaloidal extract was toxic to male adults and 4 nymphs cockroaches, with median lethal dose (LD ) values of 14.90μg/insect, 14.21μg/insect for adults and 41.45μg/insect, 39.01μg/insect for 4 nymphs after 24h and 48h exposure, respectively. There was a significant difference between adults and nymphs in terms of tolerance to alkaloidal extract. There was no significant difference in mortalities at 24h and 48h, the lethal effect of alkaloidal extract on German cockroach was quick. AChE activity tests showed that alkaloidal extract had an excellent inhibitory effect on AChE: inhibition in the 4 nymphs and male adults had 50% inhibiting concentration (IC ) values of 3.56mg/ml and 5.78mg/ml respectively. The inhibitory effect of AChE activity was positively correlated with inhibitory time (0-20min), at a concentration of 1mg/ml, inhibition of nymph and adult AChE activity had 50% inhibiting time (IT ) values of 8.34min and 16.75min, respectively. may be explored as a potential natural insecticide for control of the German cockroach.