Ocimum basilicum
essential oil (EO) was evaluated for its biological effects on
M. domestica
. Characterization of
O. basilicum
EO revealed the presence of methyl chavicol (70.93%), linalool (9.34%), epi-α-cadinol (3.69 %), methyl eugenol (2.48%), γ-cadinene (1.67%), 1,8-cineole (1.30%) and (
E
)-β-ocimene (1.11%). The basil EO and its constituents methyl chavicol and linalool elicited a neuronal response in female adults of
M. domestica
. Adult female flies showed reduced preference to food source laced with basil EO and methyl chavicol. Substrates treated with EO and methyl chavicol at 0.25% resulted in an oviposition deterrence of over 80%. A large ovicidal effect was found for
O. basilicum
EO (EC
50
9.74 mg/dm
3
) followed by methyl chavicol (EC
50
10.67 mg/dm
3
) and linalool (EC
50
13.57 mg/dm
3
). Adults exposed to EO (LD
50
10.01 μg/adult) were more susceptible to contact toxicity than to methyl chavicol and linalool (LD
50
13.62 μg/adult and LD
50
43.12 μg/adult respectively). EO and its constituents methyl chavicol and linalool also induced the detoxifying enzymes Carboxyl esterase (Car E) and Glutathione S – transferases (GST).
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