Phytochemical and Pesticidal Effects Of Some Egyptian Plants

A wide interest has been directed during the last two decades to environmental pollution. Chemical pesticides are main sources of this pollution, causing numerous hazards to non-target organisms, including human beings. Biological control of pests is one of the most promising alternatives; among the elements of this method of control are botanical insecticides. Insecticidal activities of methanol, acetone, hexane extracts of eleven plants against the stored grain pest Corcyra cephalonica (serious pest of some important stored food such as rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, groundnut, cotton seeds, and cocoa beans) were investigated. Methanol extracts of Penstemon hirsutus and Plantago sinica exhibited the highest insecticidal activity against C. cephalonica. Ten compounds were isolated and identified, from plant extracts of Penstemon hirsutus and Plantago sinica,also, the isolated compounds had pesticidal effects against C. cephalonica. The aim of this work, phytochemical screening and investigation of insecticidal activities of the examined different plant extracts and isolated compounds against C. cephalonica to development of new biological control of pests based on natural products.