No presente trabalho descreve-se a composição química dos óleos essenciais de Rollinia leptopetala R.E. Fries (Annonaceae) e as atividades larvicidas dos óleos essenciais, do extrato metanólico das raízes desta espécie e do alcalóide oxoaporfinico, liriodenina (1), frente às larvas no terceiro estágio do mosquito Aedes aegypti. O extrato metanólico mostrou-se ativo com CL 50 64,6 ± 1,5 ppm e uma forte atividade foi exibida para o composto (1), CL 50 3,6 ± 0,4 ppm. Os óleos essenciais das folhas e galhos também mostraram atividade com CL 50 104,7 ± 0,2 and 34,7 ± 0,3 ppm, respectivamente. Estes dados sugerem que R. leptopetala é fonte potencial de larvicidas naturais. A composição química do óleo essencial e as atividades descritas são comunicadas pela primeira vez.The aim of present study was to describe the chemical composition of the essential oils from the leaf and stem of Rollinia leptopetala R. E. Fries (Annonaceae) and to evaluate the larvicidal activities of these essential oils, of the methanol extract from roots of this plant and of the oxoaporphine alkaloid, liriodenine (1) against the third-instar of Aedes aegypti larvae. The methanol extract from the roots showed larvicidal activity with LC 50 64.6 ± 1.5 ppm. Higher activity was observed for the isolated alkaloid liriodenine (1), LC 50 3.6 ± 0.4 ppm. The essential oils from the leaves and stems, also exhibited larvicidal activity with LC 50 104.7 ± 0.2 and 34.7 ± 0.3 ppm, respectively. These results suggest R. leptopetala as a source of natural larvicidal compounds. This is the first report about the chemical composition and larvicidal activity of the leaf and stem essential oils of R. leptopetala.
Keywords: Rollinia leptopetala, Annonaceae, essential oils, liriodenine, Aedes aegypti
IntroductionAedes aegypti is the principal mosquito vector of dengue fever, including the hemorrhagic form, which is endemic to South East Asia, Central and South America, and West Africa.1 Between 50 and 100 million of cases are registered each year, causing thousands of deaths.
2The disease has high levels of mortality, and also inflicts great economic losses and social disruption in Brazil. Although some viral diseases, such as yellow fever, have been brought reasonably under control with a vaccine, no vaccine is so far available for dengue. Today, the only way of decreasing the incidence of this disease is by controlling the Aedes aegypti proliferation. This is not an easy task because the mosquitoes have developed resistance to the current synthetic insecticides that, in addition, are toxic to humans and the environment. The mosquito population control in the larval stage is much easier than in the adult Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Activity of Rollinia leptopetala (Annonaceae) J. Braz. Chem. Soc. 376 stage, and then new strategies are needed for controlling the proliferation of the larvae of A. aegypti. Several studies have focused on natural products as insecticides for controlling A. aegypti larvae. Alkaloids and essential oils from herbal plants have ...