Toxicity of colocynithin and hydrated colocynithin from alcoholic extract of Citrullus colocynthis pulp.

The comparative toxicity of the alcoholic extract of Citrullus colocynthis pulp; colocynithin and hydrated colocynithin have been isolated and tried against seven insect species. The American cockroaches were more susceptible for both compounds than the German one, adult honey bee were more affected with Colocynithin than adult housefly. while hydrated colocynithin was more toxic to housefly than honey bee, cotton leafworm was less affected with both toxicants. Bed bug was less affected with Colocynithin than mosquito, but V.V. with hydrated Colocynithin. A direct parallel relation was found between toxicity and rate of penetration.