Studies on Crude Drugs Effective on Visceral Larva Migrans. I. Identification of Larvicidal Principles in Betel Nuts

Larvicidal principles obtained from the 50% aqueous acetone extract of betel nuts (Areca catechu) were revealed to be a mixture of fatty acids. They were identified by GC-MS analysis as lauric, myristic, palmitic, and oleic acids. Determination of the larvicidal activities of fatty acids and aliphatic alcohols with various alkyl chain lengths, and of analogous compounds with various functional groups, suggested that the balance between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity is important for the larvicidal activity.