Bioactivity of Licaria puchury-major Essential Oil Against Aedes aegypti , Tetranychus urticae and Cerataphis lataniae

Abstract

The present study was carried out to evaluate an alternative controlling agent for greenhouse pests and the yellow fever mosquito larvae. The potential bioactivity of Licaria puchury-major (Mart.) Kosterm. ("puxuri") was evaluated here against three most common pests in tropical and subtropical countries: Aedes aegypti Linn. Larvae, Tetranychus urticae Koch. mites and Cerataphis lataniae Boisd. aphids. The essential oil from seeds was analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The major compounds were safrole (38.8%) and eucalyptol (21.7%). Phenylpropanes (51.7%) was the main group of compounds and oxygenated monoterpenes represented 28.8% of the total oil. The essential oil has shown no inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the tested concentrations. However, potential antioxidant activities were evaluated by different methods [DPPH: LD 50 = (27.8 ± 1.0) µg/.mL; ABTS: (977.3 ± 25.2) µM TEs/g (Trolox Equivalents); FRAP: (548.2 ± 29.0) µM Fe(II)/g]. A significant larvicidal potential for 24 h of exposure was observed with LD 50 = 98.9 µg/mL, being an indicative that the larval mortality may occur by ingestion or contact due to the no inhibition against AChE. Volatile phase effects were evaluated against T. urticae Koch. and C. lataniae Boisd. and LD 50 were found about 30.8 and 13.5 µg/mL, respectively. These results are consistent with an octopaminergic effect, since some phenylpropanoids (such as Safrole, identified as the major compound in this work) can block octopamine, a multi-functional, naturally occurring biogenic amine. Then, this study clearly illustrated the efficacy of the investigated seeds, which encourages the development of a new potential natural controlling agent against these common pests due to the abundance of these seeds in the Amazon region and to the high essential oil yield.

The Volatile Profiles and DNA Barcodes of Lauraceae Species from the Ocotea Complex with Occurrence in the Brazilian Amazon

“…Safrole, eugenol, methyleugenol, and anethole in the oils of seeds from L. puchury‐major (Mart.) Kosterm [29–32] . Safrole (16.7 %) and the monoterpenes α‐pinene (10.6 %), and β‐pinene (11.2 %) were the main constituents of the bark oil of Aniba citrifolia (Nees) Mez, which occurs in Melgaço, PA, Brazil [33]…”

Chemical Diversity and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Licaria, Nectrandra and Ocotea Species (Lauraceae) with Occurrence in Brazilian Biomes

“…The EO extracted from seeds of various samples of L. puchury-major collected in Belém (PA) showed similar chemical profile rich in phenylpropanoids (43.81–57.50%) distributed in two profiles. The main compounds of the two samples were safrole (51.3%), 1,8-cineole (25.5%), α-terpineol (8.60%) (profile I), safrole (38.80%, 36.11%), 1,8-cineole (21.70%, 21.12%) and limonene (8.27%, 12.2%) (profile II) [ 15 , 16 , 57 ]. However, the EO of seeds collected in Manaus (AM, Amazon) displayed safrole (58.4%), dodecanoic acid (13.7%) and α-terpineol (8.4%) (profile III) [ 58 ].…”

Botanicals Against Tetranychus urticae Koch Under Laboratory Conditions: A Survey of Alternatives for Controlling Pest Mites

“…Kosterm. Essential oil30.8 µg/mLJAdult femalesLD 50 safrole (38.8%), 1,8-cineole (21.7%)[131]Lilliaceae Convallaria majalis L.Root extract1%GAdult femalesMortality between 0 and 20%-[99]Malvaceae Abutilon theophasti Medic.Aerial part extract1%GAdult femalesMortality between 50 and 80%-[99]Malvaceae Corchorus sp. Whole plant extract5000 ppmGAdultsMortality between 61 and 80%-[71]Malvaceae Corchorus sp.…”