Abstract
The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is recognized as an important pest of sorghum cultivation. The use of natural products in the form of botanical extracts represents an alternative for its control. In this investigation, we evaluated the insecticidal activity of hexanic, acetonic, and methanolic extracts of leaves, fruits, and roots of Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae). These were applied in contact bioassays at different concentrations to control apterous adults of M. sacchari. We found that the chemical components of lower polarity contained in the hexane extract of leaves (RcLH) produced the best biological effect, with 96% mortality at 72 h. Thin layer chromatography allowed fractions of this extract to be grouped into 7 categories (F1–F7) based on their chemical content. The F3 category produced 90% mortality at 10,000 ppm at 72 h in contact bioassays. The 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance analysis in addition to the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of F3 revealed the presence of myristic and stearic acid. Our results showed that the hexanic extracts of R. communis and their fatty acids may be an alternative for the development of new insecticides, constituting a better option in terms of effectiveness and lower toxicity compared with the synthetic products currently on the market used for their control.
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