Active components of Melia azedarach Linn. fruits and its geographic variation:A review

Melia azedarach Linn. is widely distributed in China and has obvious geographic variation,which can be used as commercial tree species for its fast growth and good quality. As a popular raw material for insecticidal drugs,the root,bark,flower and fruit of M. azedarach can be used as drugs which shows poisonousness,anti-feeding efficacy and repellent activity toward many pests. M. azedarach fruits can be used as materials for extracting active components, which is conducive to the utilization of wood. This review summarized the insect-resistant effects,insecticidal active com-ponents and efficacy of extracts from M. azedarach fruits. Moreover,due to the limitation and deficiency in the existing studies about geographic variation of active components from fruits of M. azedarach in China,this review combined with genetic breeding startegies,recommended researchers to collect representative M. azedarach provenances and families in whole distribution area,analyze differences in species and content of active components between different M. azedarach provenances and families,and reveal the pattern of geographic variation and individual variation. Finally,further im-provement was made to M. azedarach biopesticide application by combining with wood utilization,based on the selection of fine provenances or families. Provenances or families whose fruits had high content of active components and good per-formance of growth traits were chosen to cultivate excellent species for fruit forest by genetic breeding,in order to realize the combined use of M. azedarach as drug and timber,and comprehensively develop its economic value.