Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from Brazilian Legal Amazon Plants againstAedes aegyptiL. (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

The mosquito Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is the major vector of dengue and chikungunya fever. The lack of effective therapies and vaccines for these diseases highlights the need for alternative strategies to control the spread of virus. Therefore, this study investigated the larvicidal potential of essential oils from common plant species obtained from the Chapada das Mesas National Park, Brazil, against third instar A. aegypti larvae. The chemical composition of these oils was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The essential oils of Eugenia piauhiensis Vellaff., Myrcia erythroxylon O. Berg, Psidium myrsinites DC., and Siparuna camporum (Tul.) A. DC. were observed to be mainly composed of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The essential oil of Lippia gracilis Schauer was composed of oxygenated monoterpenes. Four of the five tested oils were effective against the A. aegypti larvae, with the lethal concentration (LC50) ranging from 230 to 292 mg/L after 24 h of exposure. Overall, this work demonstrated the possibility of developing larvicidal products against A. aegypti by using essential oils from the flora of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. This in turn demonstrates the potential of using natural resources for the control of disease vectors.

Lippia gracilis essential oil in β‐cyclodextrin inclusion complexes: an environmentally safe formulation to control Aedes aegypti larvae

“…To circumvent these problems, natural products (e.g. essential oils) with larvicidal activity have been studied …”

Phytochemical study, toxicity and antimicrobial activity of Psidium myrsinites DC. (Myrtaceae) leaves

“…According to Medeiros (2014), which performed an extraction of oil from leaves of P. myrsinites for three hours, the main compounds obtained were very similar to that study, caryophyllene oxide (26.10%), epoxide humulene II (8.80%) and β-caryophyllene (7.40%). (E) -β-caryophyllene (26.05%), α-humulene (23.92%) and caryophyllene oxide (10.09%) were also found in a study by Dias (2015) as main compounds, and the first two compounds were also found in the research carried out by Maia et al (2010), (E) -β-caryophyllene (28.70%) and α-humulene (19.40%).…”

“…In research by Dias (2015), the essential oil of the leaves of this species presented larvicidal activity against the larvae of the mosquito Aedes aegypti L. Another recent study demonstrates antioxidant activity by the hydro-alcoholic extract of the leaves of this species .…”

Composição química e atividade larvicida contra Aedes aegypti do óleo essencial da Eugenia calycina

“…A substância da fração MVM_4 foi injetada no CG-EM, após as respectivas análises elementares de RMN, e, foi o único composto isolado que foi identificado pela biblioteca do equipamento. DIAS et al, 2015;MORA et al, 2010 O óleo essencial das folhas das espécies Myrcia erythroxylon apresentou CL50 >1000 μg mL -1 , e foi considerado inativo, para 24 horas de exposição (DIAS et al, 2015). Dessa forma, para o mesmo tempo de exposição, o óleo de Psidium myrsinites apresentou atividade larvicida efetiva com CL50 de 292 μg mL -1 (DIAS et al, 2015 (VIEGAS, 2003).…”

“…DIAS et al, 2015;MORA et al, 2010 O óleo essencial das folhas das espécies Myrcia erythroxylon apresentou CL50 >1000 μg mL -1 , e foi considerado inativo, para 24 horas de exposição (DIAS et al, 2015). Dessa forma, para o mesmo tempo de exposição, o óleo de Psidium myrsinites apresentou atividade larvicida efetiva com CL50 de 292 μg mL -1 (DIAS et al, 2015 (VIEGAS, 2003). Alguns inseticidas botânicos podem ter ação no sistema neuroendócrino das larvas onde ocorre a de troca de muda (ecdise), interferindo na respiração celular, e, na síntese de ATP também, levando a morte (MENEZES, 2005).…”