Euphorbiaceae from the Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountain massif as a promising condition for the development of new botanical pesticides

Abstract

The phytochemical and bioactivity study of four species of Euphorbiaceae, present in natural ecosystems of the Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountain massif, was carried out with the objective of establishing their potential for the development of new biopesticides. For this purpose, crude extracts of the species were obtained, which were evaluated using the Artemia assay, a reference bioassay that offers not only preliminary criteria for pesticide activity but also toxicological and ecotoxicological criteria. The hydroalcoholic extracts of the four species evaluated showed significant activity on Artemia salina, which indicates their potential for obtaining bioactive substances of phytosanitary interest. The presence of triterpenes/steroids, phenols/tannins, carbohydrates/glycosides and, less frequently, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, quinones and coumarins was detected in plants; substances that may be associated with the observed effects.