Toxic effects of four amazonian plants on Chironomus calligraphus Goeldi 1905 (Diptera: Chironomidae) and Artemia franciscana Kellog 1906 (Anostraca: Artemiidae)

The aim of current research was to evaluate the ecotoxic effect of four Amazonian plants of ethnobotanical importance in Pucallpa, Peru: Dutchman's Pipe Aristolochia pilosa Kunth (Aristolochiaceae) in stem and leaves, Soapberry Paullinia clavigera Simpson (Sapindaceae) in cortex, Wandering Jew Tradescantia zebrina Hort ex Bosse (Commelinaceae) in all plant and Curare Chondrodendron tomentosum Ruiz & Pavon corr. Miers (Menispermaceae) in cortex and leaves on first instars' insect larvae of Chironomus calligraphus Goeldi 1905 and second instars' nauplii of brine shrimp Artemia franciscana Kellog, 1906. Standard procedures were employed to detect semiqualitative phytochemistry of hexane, chloroform and hydroalcohol extracts, for each plant evaluated. The LC ₅₀ mean values of hexane and chloroform extracts of all plants on A. franciscana and hydroalcoholic extract on C. calligraphus were lower than values of chloroform extracts on C. calligraphus. Leaves hexane extract and stem chloroform extract of A. pilosa, and hydroalcohol extract of P. clavigera had higher activity on C. calligraphus. However, hexane and chloroform extracts of T. zebrina, and stem hydroalcoholic extract of A. pilosa had higher activity on A. franciscana.