Honeybees use propolis as a natural pesticide against their major ectoparasite

Honeybees use propolis collected from plants for coating the inner walls of their nest. This substance is also used as a natural antibiotic against microbial pathogens, similarly to many other animals exploiting natural products for self-medication. We carried out chemical analyses and laboratory bioassays to test if honeybees use propolis for social medication against their major ectoparasite: Varroa destructor . We found that propolis is applied to brood cells where it can affect the reproducing parasites, with a positive effect on honeybees and a potential impact on Varroa population. We conclude that propolis can be regarded as a natural pesticide used by the honeybee to limit a dangerous parasite. These findings significantly enlarge our understanding of behavioural immunity in animals and may have important implications for the management of the most important threat to honeybees worldwide.

Pengaruh Pestisida Alami Untuk Membasmi Hama Pada Tanaman Cabai di Rumah Petani Karangjati

AbstrakTanaman cabai merupakan tanaman yang banyak dijumpai di Indonesia. Petani melakukan budidaya tanaman cabai karena minat dari masyarakat akan cabai sangat tinggi. Namun petani selalu dihadapkan dengan permasalahan hama yang sering menyerang tanaman cabainya. Kebanyakan petani menggunakan pestisida kimia untuk memberantas hama pada tanamannya. Memang cepat dalam memberantas hamanya, namun kurang baik dalam segi lingkungan dan kesehatan manusia. Untuk itu, penulis akan memberikan alternatif untuk memberantas hama yang ada ditanaman tanpa adanya efek samping baik tanaman itu sendiri maupun ekosistem disekitarnya. Metode yang digunakan dalam kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini yaitu observasi dan wawancara. Pembuatan pestisida alami ini menjadi salah satu alternatif karena ramah lingkungan dan aman untuk kesehatan manusia. Pestisida alami ini terbuat dari kotoran kambing, dan rempah-rempah yang sering digunakan ibu dalam memasak. Pestisida ini disosialisasikan kepada masyarakat khususnya yang bergerak di bidang pertanian. Untuk mengetahui efektif tidaknya penggunaan pestisida alami dalam memberantas hama dilakukan dengan pengamatan setelah penyemprotan pestisida alami secara rutin untuk tanaman cabai yang terserang hama. Sehingga dari pengamatan ini didapati penggunaan pestisida dari kegiatan pembuatan pestisida alami, penyemprotan pestisidanya ke tanaman yang terdapat hama, penyemprotan dilakukan sehingga didapati dari hasil pengamatannya pestisida ini cukup efektif dalam memberantas hama yang terdapat di tanaman cabai. Dari hasil pengamatan didapati penyemprotan pestisida alami secara rutin dapat meminimalisir penyebaran hama ditanaman. Kata Kunci: Pestisida Alami, Hama, Tanaman Cabai. AbstractChili plants are plants that are often found in Indonesia. Farmers cultivate chili plants because the public’s interest in chili is very high. However, farmers are always faced with the problem of pests that often attack their chili plants. Most farmers use chemical pesticides to eradicate pests on their crops. It is fast in eradicating the pests, but it is not good in terms of the environment and human health. For this reason, the author will provide an alternative to eradicate pests that exist in plants without any side effects, both the plant itself and the surrounding ecosystem. The method used in this community service activity is observation and interviews. Making natural pesticides is an alternative because it is environmentally friendly and safe for human health. This natural pesticide is made from goat dung, and spices that mothers often use in cooking. These pesticides are socialized to the public, especially those engaged in agriculture. To find out whether the use of natural pesticides is effective in eradicating pests is carried out by observing after spraying natural pesticides on a regular basis for chili plants that are attacked by pests. So from this observation it was found that the use of pesticides from the activities of making natural pesticides, spraying was carried out so that it was found from the observations that these pesticides were quite effective in eradicating pests found in chili plants. From the observations, it was found that regular natural pesticide spraying can minimize the spread of pests on plants.Key Word: Natural pesticides, pests, chili plants.

The Unique Substance, Lidocaine and Biological Activityof the Dioscorea Species for Potential Application as a Cancer Treatment, Natural Pesticide and Product

The six Dioscorea species, D. brevipetiolata, D. bulbifera, D. depauperata (Dd), D. glabra (Dg), D. pyrifolia and D. hamiltonii were analyzed for phytochemicals, toxicity in PBMCs, and biological activity in two cancer cell lines by MTT and comet assays, and pesticide efficiency. Via GC-MS, lidocaine was found to be the predominant compound in two of the studied species. To confirm the systematics, lidocaine was also found in lower amounts in 11 species. The MTT assay showed no toxicity in all six of the studied species. The comet assay showed the key result that the ethanol extracts of Dd and Dg violently broke DNA into pieces. Biological activity of these two species’ extracts showed toxicity on HepG2 and no effects on HCT-116. The water extracts of Dd and Dg, applied to Brassica chinensis showed high efficiency as a bioprotectant. In summary, lidocaine seems to be the predominant identifying compound of the genus Dioscorea in Thailand, which is useful in systematics. At least the two species, Dd and Dg, may be used for human hepatocyte cancer treatment and as an alternative pesticide for economically important vegetables. Dioscorea species containing lidocaine or extracted lidocaine have promise for natural product creation.

STUDI ETNOBOTANI JENIS-JENIS TUMBUHAN BERACUN PADA SUKU DAWAN KECAMATAN FATULEU TENGAH, KABUPATEN KUPANG (Ethnobotany study of poisonous plants in Dawan Tribe Fatuleu Tengah Subdistrict, Kupang District)

Poisonous plants are plants containing a poison that can cause pain or death. The people of the Dawan Fatuleu Tengah tribe have used poisonous plants in their daily lives. However, these types of poisonous plants have not been well documented. The purpose of the present study was to determine the types of poisonous plants and their utilization by the Dawan Fatuleu Tengah tribe. The data collection was conducted by interviewing the respondents for the use of poisonous plants. The obtained results showed that eight types of poisonous plants from six families used by the Dawan Fatuleu Tengah tribe, namely arbila nuts (Phaseolus lonatus L.), tubaroot (Deris elliptica L.), cassava (Manihot esculent), sengon (Paraserianthes faltacataria L.), ginje (Thevetia peruvianan), kecubung (Datura metel L.), ceremai (Phyllanthus acidus L.), and biduri (Calotropis gigantean L.). The Dawan Fatuleu Tengah tribe community uses these poisonous plants to poison fish in the river for consumption, as a natural pesticide, to kill insect disease vectors, and for attacking the enemy. Abstrak Tumbuhan beracun merupakan tumbuhan yang mengandung racun dan dapat menyebabkan rasa sakit atau kematian. Masyarakat suku Dawan Fatuleu Tengah telah lama memanfaatkan tumbuhan beracun dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Namun, sampai saat ini jenis-jenis tumbuhan beracun tersebut belum terinventarisasi dengan baik. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui jenis-jenis tumbuhan beracun dan pemanfaatannya oleh suku Dawan Fatuleu Tengah. Teknik pengambilan data berupa pengambilan sampel responden dapat dilakukan dengan menghimpun keterangan melalui wawancara tentang pemanfataan tumbuhan beracun. Hasil penelitian yang diperoleh menunjukkan bahwa terdapat 8 jenis tumbuhan beracun dari 5 famili yang dimanfaatkan suku Dawan Fatuleu Tengah yaitu kacang arbila (Phaseolus lonatus L.), akar tuba (Deris elliptica L.), ubi kayu (Manihot esculenta), sengon (Paraserianthes faltacataria L), ginje (Thevetia peruviana), kecubung (Datura metel L), ceremai (Phyllanthus acidus L), biduri (Calotropis gigantean L). Masyarakat suku Dawan Fatuleu Tengah memanfaatkan tumbuhan beracun tersebut untuk meracuni ikan di sungai untuk dikonsumsi, sebagai pestisida alami, untuk membunuh serangga vektor penyakit, dan juga untuk menyerang musuh.

Spanish chamomile (Anacyclus pyrethrum) and pyrethrum (Tanacetum cineraiifolium): organic and natural pesticides and treasure of medicinal herbs

Pyrethrum (Tanacetum cineraiifolium) which is a natural insecticide has many properties, but the most important are raid action, very low toxicity for mammalian, lack of insect immunity, broad of activity, lack of persistence and degraded quickly by UV in sunlight and very effective insect repellent. Organic farmers can use pyrethrins as an insecticide for fruit and vegetable crops. Easily degraded by oxygen, light and temperature, pyrethrum compounds are environmentally friendly and compatible with organic farming. A. pyrethrum roots contain anacyclin, pellitorine, hydrocarolin, inulin, traces of volatile oil and seasamin. The roots of A. pyrethrum are used in traditional medicine of different countries to treat epilepsy, rheumatism, cephalalgia, paralysis and hemiplegia. N-alkylamids and ester pyrethrine are the main constituents of roots which have tremendous medicinal values. The plant is also a natural pesticide with considerable antimicrobial properties. It has also possessed antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsive, antimicrobial, local anaesthetic, oxidative DNA damage preventive, immunostimulatory, saliva-stimulating, male libido enhancing, anti-mutagenesis and insecticidal activities.

Predatory Ants: First Report on Direct Evidence of Predation by Dorylus orientalis Westwood, 1885 on Olive Ridley Eggs from India

Predation of eggs and emerging hatchlings of olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) by wild animals and feral dogs are known. They reduce the hatching success rate considerably affecting the conservation management of this vulnerable species. Hatchery management is practised in India to overcome predation. Ant predation is a serious threat to turtle nest protected by ex situ or in situ erected hatchery. This article reports the first direct evidence of turtle eggs predation by Dorylus orientalis Westwood, 1835 commonly called red ants. Native to India, Oriental, Indo Australian and Palearctic regions they are notorious as an agricultural pest. Chlorpyrifos pesticides recommended for their control could become fatal for the developing embryos of turtles if applied near the hatchery. In the turtle nesting site of the west coast of India, D. orientalis has more of an ecological role than as a pest. Natural pesticide such as Neem powder (Azadirachta indica) shows promising results for preventing their infestation.