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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » Natural Products Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #326476
Research Project: Discovery and Development of Natural Products for Pharmaceutical and Agrochemical Applications II

Location: Natural Products Utilization Research

Title: Chemical composition and biting deterrent activity of essential oil of Tagetes patula (Marigold) against Aedes aegypti

Author
item ALI, ABBAS - University Of Mississippi
item TABANCA, NURHAYAT - University Of Mississippi
item AMIN, ELHAM - University Of Mississippi
item DEMIRCI, BETUL - Anadolu Universtiy
item KHAN, IKHLAS - University Of Mississippi

Submitted to: Journal of Medical Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2016
Publication Date: 10/1/2016
Citation: Ali, A., Tabanca, N., Amin, E., Demirci, B., Khan, I.A. 2016. Chemical composition and biting deterrent activity of essential oil of Tagetes patula (Marigold) against Aedes aegypti. Journal of Medical Entomology. 11(10):1535-1538. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578X1601101028.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578X1601101028

Interpretive Summary: Mosquitoes are vectors of several disease causing pathogens. Aedes aegypti L. is known to carry dengue and yellow fever while Anopheles species spread the pathogens of malaria. These diseases are a major public health problem, and new threats continue to emerge in regions where they had not previously been reported as serious diseases. Due to continuous use, mosquitoes have developed resistance against many currently used commercial insecticides. Botanical pesticides are promising in that they are effective, environment-friendly and easily biodegradable. Tagetes, is a genus of about 55 species, belonging to the family Asteraceae. Tagetes species, commonly known as “marigold” are grown for ornamental purposes all over the world. Phytochemical investigation of several species resulted in the isolation of more than one hundred secondary metabolites, some of which have potent biological activities. Tagetes spatula L. is an annual plant that has been used in folk medicine for treatment of colic, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, skin diseases and hepatic disorders. This study investigated the larvicidal and biting deterrent activities against mosquitoes. Major compounds of essential oil of T. patula were caryophyllene oxide (18.4%), ß-caryophyllene (18.0%) and spathulenol (9.1%). Essential oil of T. patula showed a good biting deterrent and mild larvicidal activity against Aedes Aegypti. Spathulenol, and (E)-nerolidol which is present in smaller percentage showed high biting deterrent activity in our studies. The activity of this oil may be due to the major compounds or the mixture of compounds present in this oil.

Technical Abstract: The hydrodistillated leaf essential oil of Tagetes patula L analyzed by GC-FID and GC/MS. The main components of the oil were characterized as caryophyllene oxide 18.4%, ß-caryophyllene 18.0% and spathulenol 9.1%. The essential oil was screened for the biting deterrent activity against Aedes aegypti L. using in vitro K&D module system. Tagetes patula essential oil showed good biting deterrent activity. The results suggest that these sesquiterpenes may contribute to biting deterrent activity, but the role of minor components cannot be excluded. Tagetes patula essential showed 100, 90 and 10 % mortality at 125, 62.5 and 31.25 ppm, respectively in 1-d-old larvae of Ae. aegypti.