Asian Journal of Biology

The present study was aimed to screen the phytochemicals and quantification of alkaloids, phenolic compounds and flavonoids and to evaluate the nematicidal activity of ethanolic leaf extracts of Datura metel, Datura innoxia and Brugmansia suaveolens against Meloidogyne incognita. Phytochemical screening of leaf extracts of D. metel, D. innoxia and B. suaveolens was carried out by qualitative analysis and the results revealed that the presence of bioactive compounds like alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, anthroquinone glycosides, saponins and triterpenes. The quantitative phytochemical analysis showed that the maximum amount of alkaloids 12.12 mg/g in leaf of D. innoxia, phenolic compounds 5.675 mg/g in leaf of D. metel and flavonoids 4.945 mg/g in leaf of B. suaveolens. The nematicidal activity of extracts of D. metel, D. innoxia and B. suaveolens were studied against the root knot nematode M. incognita. For nematicidal activity, the leaf extracts were used at different concentrations like 250 ppm, 500 ppm, 750 ppm and 1000 ppm in different exposure time like 24 hrs, 48 hrs and 72 hrs. The in vitro nematicidal activity results suggested that the extracts of D. metel, D. innoxia and B. suaveolens were possessed nematicidal activity. From this study, we concluded that the extracts of D. metel, D. innoxia and B. suaveolens contain phytochemicals and the plants were exhibited nematicidal activity against root knot nematode M. incognita. The present study may be useful for the identification and isolation of novel active nematicidal compounds from the leaf of D. metel, D. innoxia and B. suaveolens.