Phytochemical and biological analysis of extracts of aerial parts of Delphinium speciosum plant

Abstract

Introduction: Plants of genus Delphinium are rich source of diterpene alkaloids. Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria pose major public health challenges globally. Scope: Due to the importance of medicinal properties of family Ranunculaceae and limited studies on the phytochemistry of Delphinium speciosum, this plant was selected for phytochemical analysis along with evaluation of its biological properties.Methods and materials: Aerial parts of plant were subjected to extraction via Soxhlet method. Fractionation and separation of extracts using LLC, CC, and PTLC led to the purification of compounds. Larvicidal and Antibacterial activities of methonolic extract were investigated.Results: Delectinine, a C19 diterpene alkaloid was isolated and the structure was determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Larvicidal tests demonstrated that D. speciosum extract has the most potent larvicidal effect against the larvae of the Anopheles species (LC50 = 517 ppm). Agar disc diffusion method revealed that methanoilc extract of aerial parts of D. speciosum has no anti bacterial effects (Inhibitory Zone Diameter = 0) Conclusion: The current phytochemical study on D. speciosum demonstrated the presence of diterpene alkaloid compounds. Our study has highlighted the substantial larvicidal effects of D. speciosum extract against three primary disease vector mosquitoes (An. stephensi, Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti). These results indicate the potential of these plant-derived compounds as natural and environmentally friendly alternatives for vector control. This has promising implications for both public health and environmental sustainability. More research is required to deepen our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and to investigate the practicality of integrating these plant-based larvicides into comprehensive vector management strategies.