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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #331319
Research Project: Biting Arthropod Surveillance and Control

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: Sarniensine, a mesembrine-type alkaloid isolated from Nerine sarniensis a native South African Amaryllidaceae with larvicidal and adulticidal activities against Aedes aegypti

Author
item MASI, MARCO - University Of Naples
item VAN DER WESTHUYZEN, ALET - University Of Stellenbosch
item TABANCA, NURHAYAT - University Of Florida
item EVIDENTE, MARCO - University Of Naples
item CIMMINO, ALESSIO - University Of Naples
item GREEN, IVAN - University Of Stellenbosch
item Bernier, Ulrich
item Becnel, James
item BLOOMQUIST, JEFFREY - University Of Florida
item VAN OTTERLO, WILLEM - University Of Stellenbosch
item EVIDENTE, ANTONIO - University Of Naples

Submitted to: Fitoterapia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/2016
Publication Date: 11/15/2016
Citation: Masi, M., Van Der Westhuyzen, A.E., Tabanca, N., Evidente, M., Cimmino, A., Green, I.R., Bernier, U.R., Becnel, J.J., Bloomquist, J.R., Van Otterlo, W., Evidente, A. 2016. Sarniensine, a mesembrine-type alkaloid isolated from Nerine sarniensis a native South African Amaryllidaceae with larvicidal and adulticidal activities against Aedes aegypti. Fitoterapia. DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2016.11.007.

Interpretive Summary: Scientists at the USDA-ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, University of Florida, and from Italy and South Africa collaborated to investigate chemicals called samiensine and lycorine which were obtained from a South African plant called Nerine sarniensis. The essential oil, and these chemicals were tested for the ability to repel and kill Yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). The extract and chemicals were not good repellents, however the compound samiensine was determined to a good chemical to kill adult mosquitoes. The oil also was shown to kill mosquito larvae. The results of this study benefit people at risk of mosquito attack throughout the world, and may be of specific use to researchers and commercial entities that are developing new repellents for personal protection from mosquito attack.

Technical Abstract: A new mesembrine-typealkaloid, named sarniensine (1), was isolated together with lycorine (2), the main alkaloid, 3-epimacronine (3) and tazettine (4) from Nerine sarniensis. This Amaryllidaceae which is native of South Africa was investigated for its alkaloid content because the organic extract of its bulbs showed strong larvicidal activity with LC50 value 0.0077 µg/µL against first instar Aedes aegypti larvae and with LD50 value 4.5874 µg/mosquito against adult female Ae. aegypti. Extract did not show the repellency at MED value of 0.375 mg/cm2 against adult Ae. aegypti. Sarniensine (1) was characterized using spectroscopic and chiroptical methods as (3aS,4,5Z,6S,7aS)-6-methoxy-3a-(2'-methoxymethyl-benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-1-methyl 2,3,3a,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-indole. Compound (1) was less effective against larva at the lowest concentration of 0.1 µg/µL, however compound (1) showed strong adulticidal activity with the LD50 value of 1.38 ± 0.056 µg/mosquito.