Evaluation of Insecticidal and Anti-oxidant Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Methanolic extracts of some selected medicinal plants, Arnica montana, Apis mellifica, Uva ursi, Urtica urens, Digitalis purpurae, Cicuta virosa, Sambucus nigra and Thuja occidentalis were evaluated for their insecticidal (on the stored grain pest, Tribolium castaneum) and antioxidant activity. Permetherin was used as a reference standard for insecticidal activity and percentage mortality was found 100% at 100mg/2ml. All crude extracts exhibited concentration and time dependent insecticidal activity. Among all extracts Digitalis purpurae exhibited the highest percentage mortality (60%). Anti-oxidant activity of theses extracts were determined by DPPH radical scavenging activity and phosphomolybdate methods while using ascorbic acid as a reference standard. Significant anti-oxidant activities were revealed by U. ursi at 100 mg/ml concentration (96% DPPH scavenging activity and 91.85% total anti-oxidant activity) and D. purpurae 1 mg/ml (94.25% DPPH scavenging activity and 92.28% total anti-oxidant activity);followed by, T. occidentalis, A. mellifica, U. urens C. virosa, S. nigra and A. montana in the descending series.