Plants with pesticidal properties have been investigated for decades as alternatives to synthetics, but most progress has been shown in the laboratory. Consequently, research on pesticidal plants is failing to address gaps in our knowledge that constrain their uptake. Some of these gaps are their evaluation of their efficacy under field conditions, their economic viability and impact on benefic...

Cyclotides are plant mini-proteins whose natural function is thought to be to protect plants from pest or pathogens, particularly insect pests. They are approximately 30 amino acids in size and are characterized by a cyclic peptide backbone and a cystine knot arrangement of three conserved disulfide bonds. This article provides an overview of the reported pesticidal or toxic activities of cyclo...

Extracts of paw paw ( Asimina triloba, Annonaceae) are among the most potent of the 3500 species of higher plants screened for bioactive compounds in our laboratories at Purdue University. The paw paw is a small tree native to eastern North America; its edible fruits (sometimes referred to as "Indiana Bananas") have nurtured mankind for centuries. Activity-directed fractionation of the paw paw ...

Berberis lycium is a common medicinal plant which belongs to family Berberidaceae. It is native to Pakistan and India. It is used medicinally for diarrhea, internal wounds, jaundice, internal colic, piles, diabetes, backache, rheumatism, throat pain, scabies, pustules, gingivitis, sub blindness, remittent fever and eye disorder. The various parts of Berberis lycium such as roots, stem, leaves, ...