Influence of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) on the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus

Abstract

The aim of this study was to verify the influence of tea tree oil (TTO) (Melaleuca alternifolia) tested in its pure and nanostructured (TTO nanoparticles) forms on the reproduction of female Rhipicephalus microplus. For our purpose, female ticks were collected from naturally infected animals and treated in vitro with TTO (1, 5, and 10 %) and TTO nanoparticles (0.075, 0.375, and 0.75 %). In order to validate the tests, they were performed in triplicate using positive (amitraz) and negative (untreated) controls. It was possible to observe that pure TTO (5 and 10 %) and TTO nanoparticles (0.375 and 0.75 %) showed 100 % reproductive inhibition on female ticks. Additionally, pure TTO (1 %) also showed an acaricide effect (70 %), similarly to the positive control (78.3 %). This is the first study demonstrating the activity of pure TTO and TTO nanoparticles on female ticks. Therefore, based on these results, we were able to show that both forms and all concentrations of M. alternifolia affected tick reproduction by inhibiting egg laying and hatching. We were also able to show that TTO nanoparticles potentiated the inhibitor effect of pure TTO on the reproduction of R. microplus.

In vitro activity of essential oils of free and nanostructured Melaleuca alternifolia and of terpinen-4-ol on eggs and larvae of Haemonchus contortus

“…The extensive medicinal activity of the essential oil of M. alternifolia is already established. In the literature, there are reports of action against protozoa and ectoparasites (Baldissera et al , 2014; Pazinato et al , 2014); however, studies on the action of endoparasites are still insufficient. Payne et al (2013), when assessing the action of extracts of Australian native plants on the larval development of cyathostominae of horses, observed low activity of plants of the genus Melaleuca , such as M. artroviridis , M. stereophloia and M. uncinata .…”

In vitro effect of seven essential oils on the reproduction of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus

“…Three concentrations (1%, 5%, and 10%, i.e. 1v/99v, 5v/95v, and 10v/90v, respectively) were evaluated and Triton X-100 (Sigma Aldrich®, São Paulo, Brazil) was used as surfactant (1v/v), in addition to distilled water [17]. The essential oils of juniper, palmarosa, and lemon grass were acquired from BioEssencia® (São Paulo, Brazil), while essential oils of cedar, ginger, geranium, and bergamot were acquired from Phytoterápica® (São Paulo, Brazil).…”

Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil against the Lesser Mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) and Its Possible Effect on the Soil Fauna

“…This has motivated the search for efficient alternative control methods and that also have lower environmental impact. These requirements can be met using natural products, including essential oils, which have attracted the interest of many researchers (Prado et al, 2013;Pazinato et al, 2014;Klauck et al, 2014).…”

“…Terpinen-4-ol was purchased from Sigma Company. TTO nanoparticles were provided with the company Inventiva (Porto Alegre, Brazil), and the process of nanoparticle preparation was previously described by Pazinato et al (2014). Solid lipid carriers were prepared with 7.5% of M. alternifolia essential oil using a patented process (Inventiva) based on highpressure homogenization.…”