Abstract: The invention may be summarized as follows. The present invention provides insecticides comprised of naturally-occurring compounds, such as, for example, PA1b-related peptides and terpenoid saponins. The present invention also provides for identification and characterization of a synergistic insecticidal effect between peptides and saponins extracted from plants. Furthermore, simplified extraction procedures are provided that avoid the use of a chloroform defatting step or a column chromatography step.

Abstract: The invention may be summarized as follows. The present invention provides insecticides comprised of naturally-occurring compounds, such as, for example, PA1b-related peptides and terpenoid saponins. The present invention also provides for identification and characterization of a synergistic insecticidal effect between peptides and saponins extracted from plants. Furthermore, simplified extraction procedures are provided that avoid the use of a chloroform defatting step or a column chromatography step.

Abstract: A method and composition is provided to control insect pests using pea extracts. Pea extracts, protein-rich, fibre-rich and starch-rich fractions were tested for toxicity against various grain storage pests. The pea protein-rich extract was found to be toxic against the lesser grain borer, red flour beetle, rice weevil, maize weevil, granary weevil and the rusty grain beetle. The pea protein-rich extract also reduced the number of offspring of all insects tested. The protein-rich fraction was also found to be effective against the bertha army worm, diamondback, grasshopper, Indian meal moth and flea beetle. A partially purified active extract from the protein-rich fraction has been identified, using ion-exchange chromatography, reversed-phase chromatography, adsorption chromatography and gel filtration. However, the active ingredient within this fraction is not a protein with a molecular weight>above 4,000 daltons, nor is it a protease inhibitor, lectin or soyasaponin I.