Phenol 2,4 di-tert butyl, Phenol 3,5 di-tert butyl and isoaromadendrane epoxide: Termiticidal compounds isolated from Lantana camara L.

Abstract

Termite, a havoc for infrastructure and agriculture, is still progressing its realm and continue its devastating activity to human habitat. Conventional chemicals are not sufficient to prevent infestation and are hazardous too for environment. Lantana camara, an imported wild weed, was analysed to assess the termiticidal potential. Present study was carried out after survey of termite infestation in plants which indicated that L. camara was least affected by termites in studied area thus selected to check anti-termite property against one of the pests Odontotermes obesus (Rambur). An invasive O. obesus brought from crop fields and reared in laboratory by maintaining termite mould like environment in specialized termite box in which temperature was sustained at 27 ± 5 ºC and humidity at 70 ± 5%. No choice test assay proved L. camara methanolic leaf extract was most lethal as responsible to induce 100% mortality and phytochemically most diverse among others. Among isolated phytoconstituents, terpenoids showed 100% mortality at 250 µg concentration. Terpenoids further resolved to find active constituents in which mortality obtained between 5% and 51%. LC4 content was most lethal and induced 51.66% mortality while two other contents LC5 and LC6 showed 30% mortality. GC-HRMS analysis showed that the LC-4 contained Phenol 2,4 di-tert butyl while LC5 contained Phenol 3,5 di-tert butyl and LC6 contained isoaromadendrene epoxide as active phytoconstituents. The results indicated that the detected compounds can be useful termiticidal phytochemicals and might be applicable as bioinsecticide.