Efficacy of some plant extracts on bunch caterpillar, Andraca bipunctata walker and laboratory animals

Studies on plant extracts of Polygonum hydropiper L. and Pogostemon parviflorus Benth. at 2.0% concentration in chloroform were evaluated against bunch caterpillar, Andraca bipunctata walker. showed 100% mortality of larvae. Fractionation of effective crude extracts by column chromatography and their bioassay revealed that the fraction no III (ethyl acetate/petroleum ether, 1:5) of P. hydropiper and no IV (ethyl acetate/petroleum ether, 1:3) of P. parviflorus were most effective against the caterpillar causing 100 and 96.67% mortality respectively. the LD₅₀ of the chloroform extracts of P. hydropiper and P. parviflorus were found to be 724.44 mg/kg and 750.00 mg/kg in male albino mice, respectively. subcutaneous injection of sub-lethal dose of the extracts into male mice once a week for 6 weeks failed to express any significant influence on wBc, rBc count and serum cholesterol.