Crude hexane and water extracts of Catharanthus roseus Linn. (Syn: Vinca rosea) (Apocyanaceae)
stem, leaf, and seed exhibited pesticidal activity against Helicoverpa armigera (Hu¨bner)
(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The extracts differed signiÞcantly in their efÞcacy, with the crude hexane
extract of whole seed being the most effective in curtailing pupal survivorship to 18% followed by the
hexane extracts of leaf (21%) and stem (24%). Average pupal weight (68.2 mg) and length (1.5 cm) in the
whole seed treatment were drastically reduced, compared with the controls (415.2 mg and 2.72 cm),
subsequently reducing adultemergenceto 15.7%. SiO2 columnpuriÞcation yielded eight fractions ofwhich
fraction 1 exhibited 90% larval mortality, with severe reduction of the larvae weight (12.7 mg) and length
(1.5 cm). Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of fraction 1 suggested the presence of 16
compounds, among which oleic, linoleic, palmitic, and margaric acids were detected as major constituents.
Presence of the alkane hydrocarbons triacontane, tetracosane, and heptacosane also was noted.