ANTINEMATODAL ACTIVITY OF SOME MALAYSIAN PLANT-EXTRACTS AGAINST THE PINE WOOD NEMATODE, BURSAPHELENCHUS-XYLOPHILUS

Methanolic extracts of 79 Malaysian plants representing 42 families we re assessed for antinematodal activity against Bursaphelenchus xylophi lus using a fungal-feeding assay. Extracts of 27 plants from 19 famili es showed antinematodal activity, while 52 species were inactive. Five extracts (Sauropus androgynus, Eugenia polyantha, Areca catechu, Pipe r betle and Piper nigrum) exhibited very strong activity against Bursa phelenchus xylophilus at a minimum effective dose (MED) of 0.625 mg pe r ball. Strong antinematodal activity (MED: 1.25-2.5 mg per ball) was shown by the extracts of Spondias cyntherea, Codiageum variegatum, Euo dia glabra and Cicca acida. Eleven extracts (Carica papaya, Ipomoea aq uatica, Ocimum basilicum, Leea gigantea, Pithecellobium jiringa, Crypt eronia paniculata, Myristica fragrans, Murraya koenigii, Leucaena leuc ocephala, Melastoma malabathricum and Morinda citrifolia) demonstrated moderate activity between MED of 5 and 10 mg per ball, and weak activ ity was observed in seven extracts (Ipomoea batatas, Cymbopogon citrat us, Garcinia atroviridis, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, Tamarindus indi ca, Allium odorum and Stenochalaena palustris).