Antifeedant and larvicidal activities of Acalypha fruticosa Forssk. (Euphorbiaceae) against Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) larvae

Antifeedant and larvicidal activities of hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of Acalypha fruticosa Forssk. Leaves were studied using leaf disc no-choice method against third instar larvae of Plutella xylostella L. Chloroform extract showed maximum antifeedant activity of 92.8% at 5% concentration with a LC50 value of 1.86%. Nine fractions were collected from the chloroform extract (30 g) by silica gel column chromatography, among which the seventh fraction (eluted by 100% ethyl acetate) recorded maximum antifeedant activity (84.3%) at 1000 ppm concentration with a LC50 value of 385.7 ppm against the third instar larvae of P. xylostella. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of this effective fraction showed the presence of terpenoids, tannins, coumarins, anthraquinones and saponins.