Characterization and partial purification of attractants for nematodeOrrina phyllobia from foliage ofSolanum elaeagnifolium

An unknown attractant for the nematodeOrrina phyllobia was extracted with water from foliage ofSolanum elaeagnifolium. Stability, solubility, ionic character, and Chromatographie purification were investigated using a bioassay based on nematode aggregation in agar. Activity was nonvolatile, dialyzable, heat stable below 60 °C, and partially lost within 30 min at 100 °C. Activity was unchanged from pH 5 to 12, but was entirely lost at pH 2. Loss of activity at low pH did not appear to result from direct effects of pH on nematode behavior and was partially recovered by readjustment to pH 7. The attractive factor was most soluble in water and appeared to be cationically but not anionically exchangeable. Activity appeared to Chromatograph as several compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography employing reverse phase C18 and amine-bonded columns. Various known compounds that are common toSolanum spp. or that attract other nematodes were unattractive. Extraction ofS. elaeagnifolium foliage specifically for solanaceous glycoalkaloids using methods developed forS. tuberosum did not yield an attractive product.