Chemical composition and insecticidal activity of Anacyclus pyrethrum essential oil from the Bensliman area against Culex pipiens

Abstract

<jats:p>Anacyclus pyrethrum is a herbaceous plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family. The focus of the present study is to extract the essential oil from this plant, to determine its chemical composition and to evaluate its insecticidal activity against the larvae of the mosquito Culex pipiens. The essential oil from A. pyrethrum collected from the region of Bensliman in Morocco was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry were studied. Essential oil yield obtained by hydrodistillation was 0.09%. The major aroma constituents were Spathulenol (20.47%), Germacrene D (16.48%), Caryophyllene oxide (13.20%), 4(14)-Salviale-1-one (8.27%) and Caryophyllene 4(14),8(15)-dien-5α-ol (7.30%). The larvicidal test carried out according to a methodology based on the standard protocol of the World Health Organization was studied on 4th instar larvae of C. pipiens and showed that A. pyrethrum essential oil possesses remarkable insecticidal properties. After 24 hours of exposition, larvicidal assays revealed a 100% mortality of C. pipiens larvae. The dose of 40 μL/mL was toxic enough to cause 100% larval mortality of C. pipiens. The lethal concentrations LC50 and LC90 calculated for the essential oil studied were of the order of 14.79 μL/mL and 19.95 μL/mL, respectively. To control mosquitoes, this essential oil extracted from A. pyrethrum might be used as a natural insecticide and therefore could be an alternative to synthetic insecticides already present on the market.</jats:p>

Phytochemistry, Biological and Pharmacological Activities of the Anacyclus pyrethrum (L.) Lag: A Systematic Review

“…Several studies on the chemical composition of A. pyrethrum have been previously published [ 7 , 8 ], confirming the presence of a wide variety of phytochemicals, of which about one hundred different compounds have been described to date. In traditional medicine, the roots of A. pyrethrum are recommended for treating toothaches, salivary secretions, angina, digestive problems, lethargy, female infertility and even paralysis of the tongue and limbs.…”

“…Moreover, its EO production reaches its maximum during the flowering period. In Ben Slimane, in Morocco, this species yields 0.09% of EOs [ 7 ]. In addition, another study found that the EO yield of the spontaneous species collected in Timahdite (Middle Atlas) after flowering (0.07%) is relatively higher than that collected before flowering (0.05%) [ 27 ].…”

Lemongrass Essential Oil Components with Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities

“…Other minor components, including caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, and germacrene-D, discourage insect invasion and are effective against common houseflies and mosquitoes as well [ 174 ]. LEO can retard the activities of different neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine esterase and octopamine, activate olfactory receptor neurons, and induce related neurotoxic responses in insects [ 11 , 175 , 176 ]. Concerning this, a recent review [ 11 ] can be referred to for further reading on the insecticidal property of LEO and its underlying mechanism.…”

Biosynthesis of Lemongrass Essential Oil and the Underlying Mechanism for Its Insecticidal Activity

“…Lemongrass essential oil comprises germacrene D (2.24%), caryophyllene (0.57%) and caryophyllene oxide (0.58%) in limited quantity. These bioactive compounds, however, carry substantial insecticidal and repellent activities against various insects, including common housefly and malarial vector mosquitoes (Mokhtari et al, 2020). However, percentage abundance of these constituents can vary depending on the geography, temperature, plant developmental stage, method used for essential oil extraction as well as the solvent used for the extraction (Muturi et al, 2020).…”