QUANTIFICATION OF SAPONIN FROM SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS AND THEIR APHICIDAL ACTIVITIES AGAINST COTTON APHID, APHIS GOSSYPII IN LABORATORY CONDITION

The current study was conducted to quantify saponin from different medicinal plants and investigate their aphicidal activities against Aphis gossypii. The saponin was quantified using HPLC analysis and aphicidal activities were investigated through laboratory bioassays for mortality and repellency effects. The HPLC results revealed that all tested plants have a sufficient amount of saponin although among tested plants the highest saponin contents of 53063 mg/L was recorded in Porterandia anisophylla followed by 42829 and 42510 mg/L in Antidesma cuspidatum and Clidemia hirta, respectively. The mortality bioassay reported 100% mortality after exposure of 72 hours in C. hirta, P. macrocarpa, P. anisophylla and A. cuspidatum at 1000 mg/L concentration. The lowest LC50 value at 24 hours was recorded in C. hirta with 5444 mg/L followed by 5727, 6807 and 6943 mg/L in P. macrocarpa, P. anisophylla and A. cuspidatum, respectively. Similarly, the LC50 values of 535, 570, 724 and 766 mg/L at 48 hours and 182, 188, 211 and 213 mg/L at 72 hours were recorded in C. hirta, P. macrocarpa, P. anisophylla and A. cuspidatum, respectively. The repellency bioassay results showed the highest repellency percentage of 76 and 74% in P. anisophylla and C. hirta followed by 62 and 58% in P. macrocarpa and A. cuspidatum at 1000 mg/L concentration, respectively. The findings of the study reveal and propose that the extracted saponin from mentioned plants can be used to suppress the population of A. gossypii.