Chemical composition and toxicity of essential oils to the green-aphid Schizaphis graminum (Rondani, 1852)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the chemical composition of essential oils of Illicum verum, Ageratum conyzoides, Piper hispidinervum and Ocotea odorífera, as well as their toxicity to the green-aphid Schizaphis graminum. Compound identification was carried out with gas chromatography + mass spectrometry, and quantification with gas chromatography + flame ionization detector, both with DB5 column. The hydrodistillation process promoted oil yield of 3.81% for I. verum; 0.46% for A. conyzoides; 2.85 % for P. hispidinervum; and 0.68 % for O. odorífera. The major components from the oils of A. conyzoides was precocene (87.0%) and (E)-caryophyllene (7.1%); (E)-anethol (90.4%), limonene (2.6%) and methyl-chavicol (1.3%) for I. verum; methyleugenol (81.2%) and safrole (10.6%) for O. odorifera; and safrole (82.5%) and α-terpinolene (13.4%) for P. hispidinervum. The acute toxicity test (24 hours) performed by contact in sorghum leaves or contaminated filter-paper showed that the higher toxicity occur with essential oils of A. conyzoides, with LC50 of 7.01 and 7.01 µg oil/cm2, respectively; followed by O. odorifera, with LC50 of 17.10 and 66.70 µg oil/cm2, respectively; I. verum, with LC50of 66.40 and 65.40 µg oil/cm2, respectively; and low toxicity was observed for the P. hispidinervum essential oil, with LC50 of 64.00 and 143.00 oil/cm2, respectively. With the results obtained in this research, we can state that the use of these essential oils can be a new tool in integrated pest management.