Evaluation of the Acute Effects of Organic Solvents on Adults of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, 1855 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Abstract
The continuous use of synthetic insecticides has created problems for the environment and human health. With the objective of reducing such problems, ecofriendly measures have been taken and, in this case, plants have representing an important resource for pest control. Due to the increase of studies using organic extracts in bioassays and the difficulty of finding solubilizant agents that do not interfere in the results, the aim of this work was to evaluated the acute effect of different solvents on Sitophilus zeamais by contact and ingestion assays. The results suggest that pure dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and Tween- 20 solvents have toxic acute effects on adults of S. zeamais, but they can be used diluted at 1 or 5% with no toxic acute effect. On contrary, pure dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) did not cause any acute effect on target organism. Thus, DCM and MeOH solvents even in the pure form and the Tween-20 and DMSO diluted at 1 or 5% can be used as solubilizant agents for apolar to medium polarity plant extracts, involving contact or ingestion assay on adults of S. zeamais.
Keywords: plant extracts, stored grain pest, solvents, toxicity.
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