Evaluation of Rodenticidal Potential of Yellow Oleander Thevetia peruviana(pers.) K. schum. Fresh Fruits Methanol-Water Extract

Abstract

Rodents are the most ubiquitous mammals that live in close association with humans causing economic damage and loss to foodstuffs and property as well as threatening their health. Various methods of controlling rodents (synthetic rodenticides) have been used to reduce and control damage and losses caused by rodents which have emerged with advantages/ disadvantages. Rodenticides have had considerable measures in toxicity levels, manufacturing and registration costs, hazards to children, reduced effectiveness and connection to rodent and human safety. To address the former concerns, newly developed rodenticides and new and active formulations need to be investigated. Yellow Oleander fruits were extracted by cold maceration using methanol and water the total amount of alkaloid, phenolic, glycoside, flavonoid and tanning contents determined. Thevetia. peruviana extracts were employed for determination of the rodenticidal potential activity and its oral acute toxicity against Balb – C mice(Mus musculusis) and albino rats(Rattus norvegicus) determined. The efficiency of the rodenticide was also tested by orally administering various dosages of the extracts to different labelled mice by applying on pellets given to them. The (LD50 ) the lethal dose that can kill 50 percent of the mice extract test was done based on a stepwise procedure with the use of a minimum number of animals per step. The sample extract was administered orally to a group of five cages of five experimental Balb – C rats in dosage of 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000mg respectively enabling a judgment with respect to classifying test substance to one of a series of toxicity classes defined by fixed LD50 cut-off values, then a postmortem done on organs was photographed to determine the extent of damage by the rodenticide through poisoning vital chemical screening was done using GC-MS analysis. It is expected that the rodents were killed by the TP rodenticide extract. Active compounds were characterized using Ultra violet – Visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared spectrophotometer (FT – IR) and Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrophotometer (GC – MS). From the results, the minimum concentration of the extract that causes mortality was be reported for commercial exploitation. This study aims at evaluating the potential of yellow oleander as a rodenticide. It was also concluded that yellow oleander was very toxic and very effective against the rats