Separation of Insecticidal Ingredient of Paecilomyces cicadae (Miquel) Samson

In this study, the insecticidal active substance of the fruiting body of Paecilomyces cicadae (Miquel) Samson that can kill the larvae of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) was isolated and purified by combined separation with biology experiments for the first time. By means of bioactive guided isolation of 40% ethanol-H2O, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butyl ethanol, macroporous adsorption resin column, high performance liquid chromatography, and sephadex A-20 column, the insecticidal active compound was purified, and a white powder compound was obtained. The compound was active against the third instar larvae of P. xylostella in 24, 48, and 72 h at the concentration of 10.0 mg mL−1 with a corrective mortality of (95.1 ± 1.8), (97.7 ± 1.6), and (99.1 ± 1.7)%, respectively. The compound was strongly sensitive to the larvae. It was stable at acid environment, and was not sensitive to pepsin, and other chracteristics were studied.