Essential oils of leaves of Piper species display larvicidal activity against the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the vector of the dengue virus, an endemic arbovirus from tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The increasing resistance of mosquitoes to commercial insecticides impairs regular control programs; therefore, chemical prospecting originating from the Amazonian flora is promising for potential new insecticides. Several Piper species are, notably, rich in phenylpropanoids and terpenoids, substances with proven insecticidal activity. The composition and the larvicidal activity of three Piper species against A. aegypti were evaluated. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation in a modified Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by GC/MS. The major components found in Piper arboreum were germacrene D (31.83%) and bicyclogermacrene (21.40%); in Piper marginatum: (E)-methyl isoeugenol (27.08%), (E)-anethole (23.98%) and (Z)-methyl isoeugenol (12.01%); and in Piper aduncum: (E)-isocroweacin (29.52%) and apiole (28.62%) and elemicin (7.82%). Essential oils from the Piperaceae species studied resulted in Lethal Concentrations (LC 50 ) of 34-55 ppm, while LC 90 was higher than 100 ppm, except for P. marginatum (85 ppm).Key words: Vector control; Essential oil; Piperaceae; Aedes aegypti. RESUMO: Óleo essencial da folha de espécies de Piper exibem atividade larvicida contra o vetor da dengue Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). O mosquito Aedes aegypti é o vetor do vírus da dengue, um arbovírus endêmico em regiões tropicais e subtropicais do mundo. A crescente resistência dos mosquitos aos inseticidas comerciais prejudica programas regulares de controle, portanto, a prospecção química proveniente da flora amazônica surge como alternativa promissora para novos inseticidas. Várias espécies de Piper são notavelmente ricas em fenilpropanóides e terpenóides, substâncias com atividade inseticida comprovada. A composição e atividade larvicida de três espécies de Piper sobre A. aegypti foi avaliada. Os óleos essenciais foram extraídos por hidrodestilação em Clevenger modificado e analisado por GC/MS. Os principais componentes encontrados em Piper arboreum foram germacreno D (31,83%) e biciclogermacreno (21,40%); Piper marginatum: (E)-metilo de isoeugenol (27,08%), (E)-anetole (23,98%) e (Z)-methyl isoeugenol (12,01%), e Piper aduncum: (E)-Isocroweacin (29,52%), apiol (28,62%) e elemicin (7,82%). Os óleos essenciais a partir das espécies de Piperaceae estudadas resultou em concentrações letais (CL 50 ), 34-55 ppm, enquanto que CL 90 foi superior a 100 ppm, com excepção para P. marginatum (85 ppm).

Biological Activity of Piper aduncum extracts on Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…Phenylpropanoid apiol is one of the major components of essential oil from P. aduncum (Santana et al 2015).…”

“…These compounds derived from phenylalanine are present in most plant of the Piperaceae family. Several authors have found that these plant species have insecticidal and acaricidal activity (Salgado et al 2012, Souto et al 2012, Trindade et al 2012, Lima et al 2014, Santana et al 2015). …”

“…Santana et al (2015) found that apiol was one of two major constituents of the P. aduncum essential oil and attributed larvicidal activity on the dengue vector A. aegypti (Diptera) to apiol. Khalaf (2004) confirmed the biological activity of apiol, because it interfered with growth and reduced fertility of adult flies of the species Parasarcophaga dux (Diptera).…”

<b>Ovicidal effect of the essential oils from 18 Brazilian <i>Piper</i> species: controlling <i>Anticarsia gemmatalis</i> (Lepidoptera, Erebidae) at the initial stage of development

“…solmsianum, P. amalago, P. Hispidum, and P. umbellatum (Table 4). Apparently, these compounds are common among Piperaceae, as observed in other chemical constitutions of several Piper species (Santos, Moreira, Guimarães, & Kaplan, 2001;Mundina et al, 2001;Cruz, Cáceres, Álvarez, Apel, & Henriques, 2011;Santana et al, 2015).…”

“…Piper aduncum and P. marginatum presented compounds already reported as insecticides in previous works, such as dillapiol, asaricine (sarisan), piperitone and myristicin (Bizzo et al, 2001;Morais et al, 2007;Qin, Huang, Li, Chen, & Peng, 2010;Souto et al, 2012;Santana et al, 2015;Ribeiro, Camara, & Ramos, 2016;Krinski & Foerster, 2016). For P. caldense, P. fuligineum, P. Mollicomum, and P. mosenii, there are no studies regarding the insecticidal activity, and our work is the first to test the ovicidal activity against a lepidopteran pest of importance in Brazilian agriculture.…”