EVALUATION OF PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOUNDS IN Ficus polita LEAVES POWDERS FOR INSECT PEST CONTROL

Pesticidal plants, also referred to as botanical pesticides, have been used for centuries for pest management. The study objectives was to evaluate the phytochemical compounds in F.polita leaves powders and their insecticidal activity on Callosobruchus subinnotatus PIC in stored Bambara groundnut in Gombe through untargeted Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) using three different extraction solvents (ethanol, methanol and distilled water). Result of the study revealed the presence of various compounds. To mention but few, the ethanol extracts revealed the presence of 2-Methylchrysene (C19H14); Chrysene, 1-methyl- (C19H14); Ethyl.alpha.-d-glucopyranoside (C8H16O6); 5,9-Undecadien-2-one, 6,10-dimethyl- (C13H22O). Methanol extracts showed Alloaromadendrene oxide-(2) (C15H24O); Methyl.beta.-d-galactopyranoside (C7H14O6); Phytol (C20H40O); Ethyl .beta.-d-riboside (C7H14O5). Distilled water extraction revealed Lupeol (C30H50O); 9,19-Cycloergost-24(28)-en-3-ol, 4,14-dimethyl-, acetate, (3.beta.,4.alpha.,5.alpha.)- (C32H52O2); Lanosterol (C30H50O); [4-(4-Methoxymethylbenzyl)phenyl]methanol (C16H18O2) as compounds with the highest percentage areas. Being cheap and readily available, resources-poor farmers perceive those natural products (botanical pesticides) possessed repellence, anti-feeding and ovipositional deterrence, fumigant or contact activity, growth inhibition etc. Hence, could serve as good alternatives to chemical insecticides.