Potentiation of Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. for insecticidal activity, insect repellency and brine shrimp lethality tests under the laboratory conditions

Abstract

Aerial part, fruit and root extracts of Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. were obtained with petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol and evaluated for their insecticidal and insect repellent activity against the adult beetles of Tribolium castaneum (Hbst.) and cytotoxic activity against Artemia salina L. nauplii. The chloroform extract of fruit found most effective with LD50 0.534mg cm-2 followed by the petroleum ether and methanol extracts of root with LD50 0.814and 1.056mg cm-2 after 48 hours of exposure. Petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of the fruit and methanol extract of the aerial part showed repellent activity against the adult beetles at 5% level of significance (P