Insecticidal activity of essential oils from native medicinal plants of Central Argentina against the house fly, Musca domestica (L.)

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) 2009-12, Vol.106 (1), p.207-212
• Main Authors: Palacios, Sara M, Bertoni, Alberto, Rossi, Yanina, Santander, Rocío, Urzúa, Alejandro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Argentina; Artemisia; Artemisia annua; Artemisia annua - chemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Hedeoma; Houseflies - drug effects; Immunology; Insecticides - isolation & purification; Insecticides - pharmacology; Lamiaceae - chemistry; Lethal Dose 50; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Musca domestica; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Oils, Volatile - isolation & purification; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Original Paper; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Survival Analysis
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-009-1651-2

The insecticidal activity of nine essential oils (EOs) against the house fly (Musca domestica) was evaluated by placing flies in a screw-cap glass jar holding a piece of EO-treated cotton yarn. The dose necessary to kill 50% of flies (LC₅₀) in 30 min was determined at 26 ± 1°C. The EOs showed LC₅₀ values ranging from 0.5 to 46.9 mg/dm³. The EO from Minthostachys verticillata was the most potent insecticide (LC₅₀ = 0.5 mg/dm³) followed by EOs from Hedeoma multiflora (LC₅₀ = 1.3 mg/dm³) and Artemisia annua (LC₅₀ = 6.5 mg/dm³). The compositions of the nine EOs, obtained by hydrodistillation of medicinal herbs, were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. These analyses showed that (4R)(+)-pulegone (69.70%), menthone (12.17%), and limonene (2.75%) were the principal components of M. verticillata EO. (4R)(+)-pulegone was also the main constituent (52.80%) of H. multiflora, while artemisia ketone (22.36%) and 1,8-cineole (16.67%) were the major constituents of A. annua EO. The terpene (4R)(+)-pulegone showed a lower toxicity (LC₅₀ = 1.7 mg/dm³) than M. verticillata or H. multiflora EOs. Dimethyl 2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate, selected as a positive control, showed an LC₅₀ of 0.5 mg/dm³. EOs from M. verticillata and H. multiflora show promise as natural insecticides against houseflies.