Dry, flowable <i>Sabadilla </i>extract

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for preparing a dry, flowable sabadilla extract and to methods of its use as a pesticide.

Claims

1. A method for producing a dry, flowable pesticidal sabadilla extract comprising: milling sabadilla seeds; washing the milled sabadilla seeds with a solvent selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, glycol ether, ethyl lactate, propanol, butyl lactate, gamma-butyrolactone, and 1-butanol under agitation to dissolve the sabadilla seed into the solvent; removing the sabadilla seed extract from the washed milled sabadilla seeds; adding a drying agent selected from the group consisting of manufactured silica, diatomaceous earth, and maltodextrin to the sabadilla seed extract; and removing the solvent to produce the dry, flowable pesticidal sabadilla extract.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

(1) Sabadilla seeds were flake milled according to the manufacturer's instructions. Two hundred grams of milled seed were added to a three liter flask with methanol and stirred with a three blade stirrer controlled by an overhead motor. A stirring speed was maintained which prevented any seed fragments from settling in the flask. The system was sealed to limit evaporation loss.

(2) The methanol dissolves the sabadilla seed extract but does not dissolve the solid inert parts of the seeds, such as cellulose. The methanol and dissolved sabadilla seed extract were decanted off and additional methanol was added to the flask. This step was repeated three additional times. The washed milled seeds remained in the bottom of the flask when the methanol and dissolved sabadilla extract were decanted.

(3) The methanol and dissolved sabadilla extract were placed in a new flask. Distillation was then used to remove the methanol from the methanol and dissolved sabadilla seed extract solution. Standard IKA rotary evaporators were used for the distillation. The flask containing the methanol and dissolved sabadilla extract solution was loaded into the evaporator and into a heated water bath. The flask was heated to between 50 to 55 degrees Celsius at below atmospheric pressure in order to maximize efficient removal of the methanol without allowing it to boil over into the condenser. The evaporated methanol was partially condensed in an adjoining flask leaving some methanol in the concentrated sabadilla extract solution.

(4) Then, 12.5 grams of manufactured silica was added to the flask containing the concentrated sabadilla extract with some methanol. The distillation was then continued until the methanol was gone.

(5) Accordingly, an easy to handle, dry, flowable sabadilla extract was prepared.

Example 2

(6) The same procedure as explained in Example 1 was used except that 35 grams of diatomaceous earth was added instead of manufactured silica to the partially distilled methanol and concentrated sabadilla seed extract solution. Accordingly, a dry, flowable sabadilla extract was prepared using a different drying agent.

Example 3

(7) Sabadilla seeds were flake milled according to the manufacturer's instructions. Two hundred grams of milled seed were added to a three liter flask with hexane and stirred with a three blade stirrer controlled by an overhead motor. This step removes the oil from the seeds. A stirring speed was maintained which prevented any seed fragments from settling in the flask. The system was sealed to limit evaporation loss.

(8) The hexane and dissolved oil were decanted off and additional hexane was added to the flask. This step was repeated three additional times. The washed milled seeds (now de-oiled) remained in the flask when the hexane and dissolved oil were decanted off. The hexane and dissolved oil can be discarded or used for another purpose.

(9) The de-oiled washed milled seeds in the flask were then washed with methanol to remove the solid seed parts from the extract. The methanol and dissolved extract was decanted off and additional methanol was added to the flask. This step was repeated three additional times. The washed milled seeds remained in the bottom of the flask when the methanol and dissolved extract were decanted.

(10) The decanted methanol with dissolved extract were placed in a new flask. Distillation was then used to separate the methanol from the methanol and dissolved extract. Standard IKA rotary evaporators were used for the distillation. The flask containing the methanol and dissolved extract was loaded into the evaporator and into a heated water bath. The flask was heated to between 50 to 55 degrees Celsius in order to maximize efficient removal of the methanol without allowing it to boil over into the condenser. The evaporated methanol was partially condensed in an adjoining flask leaving some of the methanol in the concentrated sabadilla seed extract solution.

(11) Then, 1.6 grams of maltodextrin was added to the flask containing the concentrated extract with some methanol. The distillation was then continued until the methanol was gone.

(12) Accordingly, an easy to handle, dry, flowable sabadilla seed extract was prepared.

Example 4

(13) Sabadilla seeds were flake milled according to the manufacturer's instructions. Two hundred grams of milled seed were added to a three liter flask with methanol and stirred with a three blade stirrer controlled by an overhead motor. This step separates the solid seed parts, such as cellulose, from the seeds. A stirring speed was maintained which prevented any seed fragments from settling in the flask. The system was sealed to limit evaporation loss.

(14) The methanol dissolves the sabadilla extract but does not dissolve the solid inert parts of the seeds, such as cellulose. The methanol and dissolved sabadilla extract were decanted off and additional methanol was added to the flask. This step was repeated three additional times. The washed milled seeds remained in the bottom of the flask when the methanol and dissolved sabadilla extract were decanted.

(15) The methanol and dissolved sabadilla extract were placed in a new flask. Distillation was then used to remove the methanol from the methanol and dissolved sabadilla extract solution. Standard IKA rotary evaporators were used for the distillation. The flask containing the methanol and dissolved sabadilla extract solution was loaded into the evaporator and into a heated water bath. The flask was heated to between 50 to 55 degrees Celsius at below atmospheric pressure in order to maximize efficient removal of the methanol without allowing it to boil over into the condenser. The evaporated methanol was thoroughly condensed in an adjoining flask leaving the concentrated sabadilla extract solution.

(16) The concentrated sabadilla extract solution was then washed with hexane to remove the oil. The hexane and dissolved oil were decanted off and additional hexane was added to the flask. This step was repeated three additional times. The hexane and dissolved oil can be discarded or used for another purpose.

(17) The de-oiled sabadilla extract remained in the flask. Then, 1.6 grams of maltodextrin was added to the flask containing the concentrated extract and stirred in.

(18) Accordingly, an easy to handle, dry, flowable sabadilla extract was prepared.