Nematocidal Constituents from the Ethanol Extract of Evodia rutaecarpa Hort Unripe Fruits

Abstract

The ethanol extract of Chinese medicinal herb, Evodia rutaecarpa Hort unripe fruits, was found to possess nematocidal activity against the root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita, during the screening program for new agrochemicals from local wild plants and Chinese medicinal herbs. Bioactivity-guided chromatographic separation of the ethanol extract of E. rutaecarpa on repeated silica gel columns led to isolate five constituent components (two limonoids, evodol and limonin; three alkaloids, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, and wuchuyuamide I). Evodiamine (LC50=73.55 μg/mL) and rutaecarpine (LC50=120.85 μg/mL) exhibited stronger nematocidal activity against M. incognita than the crude ethanol extract of E. rutaecarpa (LC50=131.54 μg/mL). Wuchuyuamide I, evodol, and limonin also possessed nematocidal activity against M. incognita with LC50 values of 147.87 μg/mL, 155.02 μg/mL, and 197.37 μg/mL, respectively, but weaker than the crude ethanol extract of E. rutaecarpa.