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. 2021 Feb 9;26(4):914.
doi: 10.3390/molecules26040914.

Insecticidal Activity and Free Radical Scavenging Properties of Isolated Phytoconstituents from the Saudi Plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.)

Shaza M Al-Massarani  1 , Ali A El-Gamal  1   2 , Adnan J Al-Rehaily  1 , Ebtesam S Al-Sheddi  1 , Mai M Al-Oqail  1 , Nida N Farshori  1 , Alden S Estep  3 , Nurhayat Tabanca  4 , James J Becnel  3
Affiliations

Insecticidal Activity and Free Radical Scavenging Properties of Isolated Phytoconstituents from the Saudi Plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.)

Shaza M Al-Massarani et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Chromatographic purification of the alcoholic extract from the aerial parts of the Saudi plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.), Benth., resulted in five isolated phenolic compounds. Two flavones, hispidulin (1) and jaceosidin (2), and the phenylethanoid glycosides, verbascoside (3), isoverbascoside (4), and conandroside (5), were identified and their chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses. The insecticidal activity of compounds 1 and 2, in addition to 11 compounds isolated in a previous research (6-16), was evaluated against the Yellow Fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Four compounds displayed adulticidal activity with LD50 values of 2-2.3 μg/mosquito. Free radical scavenging properties of the plant extracts and compounds (1-5) were evaluated by measuring the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate radical cation (ABTS•+) scavenging activity. All compounds exhibited notable activity, compared with the positive control, l-Ascorbic acid. This study suggests that N. oppositifolia could be a promising source of secondary metabolites, some with lethal adulticidal effect against Ae. aegypti.

Keywords: ABTS; Aedes aegypti; DPPH; Nuxia oppositifolia; biopesticides; flavonoids; free radical scavenging; mosquito control; phenylethanoid; triterpenes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structures of the isolated compounds (1–5) from N. oppositifolia.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chemical structures of the previously isolated compounds (6–16) from N. oppositifolia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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