Identification of Insecticidal Constituents of the Essential Oil of Acorus calamus Rhizomes against Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel

Molecules

Xin Chao Liu²  Li Gang Zhou¹  Zhi Long Liu² 

[1] Department of Plant Pathology, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China; E-Mail:;Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China; E-Mail:

关键词: Acorus calamus;    Liposcelis bostrychophila;    fumigant;    contact toxicity;    essential oil composition;   

DOI  :  10.3390/molecules18055684

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The aim of this research was to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil of Acorus calamus rhizomes, its insecticidal activity against the booklouse, (Liposcelis bostrychophila) and to isolate any insecticidal constituents from the essential oil. The essential oil of A. calamus rhizomes was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. A total of 32 components of the essential oil of A. calamus rhizomes was identified and the principal compounds in the essential oil were determined to be α-asarone (50.09%), (E)-methylisoeugenol (14.01%), and methyleugenol (8.59%), followed by β-asarone (3.51%), α-cedrene (3.09%) and camphor (2.42%). Based on bioactivity-guided fractionation, the three active constituents were isolated from the essential oil and identified as methyleugenol, (E)-methylisoeugenol and α-asarone. The essential oil exhibited contact toxicity against L. bostrychophila with an LD₅₀ value of 100.21 µg/cm² while three constituent compounds, α-asarone, methyleugenol, and (E)-methylisoeugenol had LD₅₀ values of 125.73 µg/cm², 103.22 µg/cm² and 55.32 µg/cm², respectively. Methyleugenol and (E)-methylisoeugenol possessed fumigant toxicity against L. bostrychophila adults with LC₅₀ values of 92.21 μg/L air and 143.43 μg/L air, respectively, while the crude essential oil showed an LC₅₀ value of 392.13 μg/L air. The results indicate that the essential oil of A. calamus rhizomes and its constituent compounds have potential for development into natural fumigants/insecticides for control of the booklice.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.