Six terpenoids were extracted and isolated from Sabina vulgaris fruits with ethanol by activity tracking to study the insecticidal chemical constituents of Sabina vulgaris and they are 4-epi-abieta(1),abieta-7,13-dien-3-one(2),4-epi-abietol(3),hinokione(4),β-sitosterol(5) and stigmasterol(6).Hinokione was isolated from Sabina vulgaris for the first time.With podophyllotoxin and deoxypodophyllotoxin used the controls the anti-feeding activities and insecticidal activities of the terpenoids against Mythimna separata larva and Pieris rapae were tested by leaf disk method and leaf-dipping method and the activities of the two control compounds were showed higher than those of the six terpenoids under study.Of the terpenoids,the four diterpenes showed higher activities than the two triterpenoid phytosterols,the four diterpenes differ greatly in their activity,4-epi-abieta and abieta-7,13-dien-3-one presented higher anti-feeding activities with their 48 h AFC_50 separately at 2.92 mg·mL-1 and 3.02 mg·mL-1,and abieta-7,13-dien-3-one presented higher insecticidal activity against Pieris rapae with its 48 h LC_50 at 3.40 mg·mL-1.In addition,this has been the first report on the insecticidal activities of 4-epi-abietol and hinokione.

Three 4β-thioester-4-deoxypodophyllotoxins,two 4β-thioether-4-deoxypodophyllotoxins and one 4β-thiol-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin were synthesized,and their structures were confirmed by IR,MS,()~1H NMR and elemental analysis.The 24 h and 48 h antifeedant activities against the 3rd larvae of Mythimna separate were assayed with leaf-disk method.The bioassay results showed that 4β-thiol-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin had the highest activity among synthesized compounds.Its 24 h and 48 h AFC_(50)(concentration for 50% antifeedant activity) were 164.6 and 248.1 mg/L,5.8 and 3.0 times of that of podophyllotoxin,respectively.4β-thioester and 4β-thioether derivatives had relative lower activities than the others.

Three 4β-halogenated-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin and four 4β-amino-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin analogues were synthesized,and their structures were confirmed by IR,MS,()~1H NMR and elemental analysis.The 24 h and 48 h antifeedant activities against the 3rd larvae of Mythimna separate were(assayed) with leaf-disk method.The bioassay results showed that the activity of 4β-halogenated-4-(deoxy)podophyllotoxin analogues were higher than its amino ones,podophyllotoxin(PPT) and control(compounds) deoxypodophyllotoxin(DPPT).The 4β-Br-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin exhibited the highest vatives activity among synthesized compounds,and its 24 h and 48 h AFC_(50)(concentration for 50%(antifeedant) activity) were 280.8 mg/L and 392.9 mg/L,3.43 and 1.90 times of PPT,2.46 and 1.57(times) of DPPT,respectively.The activities of 4β-amino derivatives were decreased,and 4β-N_3-4-(deoxypodophyllotoxin) was the lowest one among them.

Savin(Sabina vulgaris) is a shrub variety located in North China,which has a important function for protecting environment.It is also an important plant for city landscape construction in North China.In recent years,the savin plant has been found with excellent insecticidal activity.A systematic research on insecticidal activity of the savin plant showed that it could be developed into botanical pesticide suitable for integrated pest management The paper reviews on the biology and ecology of savin,summarizes the development of research and application in the field of desert control,landscape construction and botanical pesticide.Furthermore,the problem between bio-ecology and plant resource of the savin pesticides has been analyzed and discussed,and a potent scheme and prospect has been put forward for the integrate exploitation of savin plant resource.