Phytochemical Screening and Evaluation of Pesticidal Efficacy in the Oleoresins of Sims and Study.

Sims is an aromatic rhizomatous herb of family Zingiberaceae which is endemic to Peninsular India. This study first reports the phytochemical profile and pesticidal potential of oleoresins obtained from the aerial and rhizome parts of Sims. The oleoresins were prepared by the cold percolation method and were analyzed by a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Both the oleoresins varied greatly in composition, the major compounds identified in aerial part oleoresin (GSAO) were methyl linoleate, methyl palmitate, and phytol, while the major compounds present in rhizome part oleoresin (GSRO) were -sitosterol, 8 (17),12-labdadiene-15, 16-dial, methyl linoleate, and methyl palmitate. In order to evaluate the biological activities, the oleoresins were tested under laboratory conditions for nematicidal action and inhibition of egg hatching potential against root knot nematode, where GSRO was more effective. Insecticidal activity was performed against mustard aphid, and castor hairy caterpillar, . In case of mustard aphid, GSRO (LC = 154.8 ppm) was more effective than GSAO (LC = 263.0 ppm), while GSAO (LC = 346.7.0 ppm) was more effective against castor hairy caterpillar than GSRO (LC = 398.1 ppm). The herbicidal activity was performed in the receptor species subsp. , and the oleoresins showed different intensities for seed germination inhibition and coleoptile and radical length inhibition. Molecular docking studies were conducted to screen the activities and through molecular docking, it was found that the major oleoresins components were able to interact with the binding pocket of HPPD and AChE with -sitosterol showing the best binding affinity.