Effects of Essential Oil from Hinoki Cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa, on Physiology and Behavior of Flies

• Published in: PloS one 2015-12, Vol.10 (12), p.e0143450-e0143450
• Main Authors: Lee, Shin-Hae, Do, Hyung-Seok, Min, Kyung-Jin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Air purification; Animals; Antifungal activity; Antifungal agents; Antimicrobial agents; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Chamaecyparis - chemistry; Chamaecyparis obtusa; Demography; Dosage and administration; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - drug effects; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Essential oils; Fecundity; Female; Fertility - drug effects; Food; Forests; Fruit flies; Fruit flies (Tephritidae); Fungicides; Health aspects; Houseflies - drug effects; Houseflies - physiology; Insect Repellents - pharmacology; Insects; Leaves; Life span; Locomotives; Longevity - drug effects; Male; Microorganisms; Motor Activity - drug effects; Musca domestica; Natural products; Oils & fats; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Plant protection; Survival Analysis; Ultraviolet radiation; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143450

Phytoncides, which are volatile substances emitted from plants for protection against plant pathogens and insects, are known to have insecticidal, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities. In contrast to their negative effects on microorganisms and insects, phytoncides have been shown to have beneficial effects on human health. Essential oil from Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) is mostly used in commercial products such as air purifiers. However, the physiological/behavioral impact of essential oil from C. obtusa on insects is not established. In this study, we tested the effects of essential oil extracted from C. obtusa on the physiologies and behaviors of Drosophila melanogaster and Musca domestica. Exposure to essential oil from C. obtusa decreased the lifespan, fecundity, locomotive activity, and developmental success rate of D. melanogaster. In addition, both fruit flies and house flies showed strong repellent behavioral responses to the essential oil, with duration times of about 5 hours at 70 μg/ml. These results suggest that essential oil from C. obtusa can be used as a 'human-friendly' alternative insect repellent.