Insecticidal effect of Solanum elaeagnifolium extracts under laboratory conditions

Abstract

The insecticidal activity of methanolic extracts from leaves and seeds of Solanum elaeagnifolium against three pest species (Myzus persicae, Phthorimaea operculella and Tribolium castaneum) was investigated. Seed extract had the greatest effect in causing mortality of 23.6% for peach potato aphids and 34% for the red floor beetle, and inhibiting oviposition (95.9%) and egg hatching (98.6%) for potato tuber moth. Except the effect of leaf extract on P. operculella, no significant toxicity was observed on T. castaneum and M. persicae. The present study suggests that seeds and leaves from S. elaeagnifolium have insecticidal and repellent properties against several crop pests and could be employed as alternatives for chemical pesticides.