Purpose: To determine the larvicidal activity of the essential oil derived from
Illicium difengpi B.N.
Chang stem bark (Schisandraceae) and its major constituents against the larvae of
Aedes aegypti
L.
Methods: Essential oil of
I. difengpi stem bark was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas
chromatography (GC) and gas chromaotography-mas spectrometry (GC-MS). The activity of the
essential oil and its major constituents was evaluated, using World Health Organization (WHO)
procedures, against the fourth instar larvae of
A. aegypti for 24 h, and larval mortalities recorded at
essential oil/compound concentrations ranging from 6.0 - 200 μg/mL.
Results: A total of 36 components of the essential oil of
I. difengpi were identified. The principal
compounds are safrole (18.21 %), linalool (13.47 %), 1,8-cineole (12.84 %), and myristicin (8.06 %)
followed by α-terpineol (4.77 %), β-pinene (4.45 %) and 4-terpineol (4.38 %). The essential oil exhibited
larvicidal activity against
A. aegypti with LC
50 (median lethal concentration) of 31.68 μg/mL. The major
constituents, myristicin, safrole, and 1, 8-cineole, exhibited LC
50 of 15.26, 39.45, and 72.18 μg/mL,
respectively.
Conclusion: The findings obtained indicate that the essential oil of
I. difengpi and its major constituents
have potentials for use in the control of
A. aegypti larvae and may therefore be useful in the search for
newer, safer and more effective natural compounds as larvicides.
