Molluscicides and other compounds from indigenous plants.

Abstract

The use of plants with molluscicidal properties IS a simple, inexpensive and appropriate technology for focal control of the snail vector. Isolation and identification of the active constituents is essential for the study of their toxicities and stabilities under field conditions, for dosage purposes, for structureactivity investigations and for effects on snail metabolism or physiology. It is in this context, that an investigation into molluscicides and other compounds from indigenous plants has been carried out. From Apodytesdimidiata subsp. dimidiata, betulinic acid (53) genipin (49) and lO-acetyl genipin (58) have been isolated and the last two have proved to possess molluscicidal activity. Furthermore, 4-ethylcatechol (60) isolated from Gardenia thunbergia is one of the most powerful naturally-occurring molluscicides.