Insecticidal activity of essential oils to the tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura

Twenty-one essential oils were tested for insecticidal activity via topical administration to third instar larvae of the tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura. Oils of Satureia hortensis, Thymus serpyllum and Origanum creticum produced >90% larval mortality at 24 h at a dose of 100 microg per larva. The LD(50) value for S. hortensis (48.4 microg) was comparable to that for Thymus vulgaris (46.9 microg). The monoterpenoid phenols thymol and carvacrol, major constituents of the oils of Thymus and Satureia species, likely account for the insecticidal action of the species.     

Compositions and antifungal activities of essential oils of some Algerian aromatic plants

Essential oils extracted from ten Algerian plants were analyzed for their potential activity against Candida albicans. The highest efficiency was obtained with the essential oil from Thymus numidicus which showed antifungal effect 1357 fold stronger than that measured with amphotericin B.     

Insecticidal activity of some essential oils against larvae of Spodoptera littoralis

Thirty-four essential oils were tested for insecticidal activity (fumigation or topical application) against larvae Spodoptera littoralis. Twenty essential oils applied by fumigation were highly toxic to the third instar of S. littoralis larvae. Two essential oils Nepeta cataria and Thuja occidentalis were highly toxic, with LC50< or =10.0 ml/m3. Five essential oils Salvia sclarea, Thymus mastichina, Origanum majorana, Pogostemon cablin and Mentha pulegium were toxic with LC50 between 10.1 and 20.0 l ml/m3. Twenty-three essential oils were highly toxic to the third instar of S. littoralis larvae after topical application. Eight essential oils Mentha citrata, N. cataria, S. sclarea, O. vulgare, O. compactum, Melissa officinalis, T. mastichina, and Lavandula angustifolia were highly toxic with LD50 < or =0.05 microl/larvae.     

植物精油对木材霉变菌的抑菌效力研究

【目的】植物精油是一类安全环保且具有抑菌特性的天然产物,在木材霉变防治领域的应用潜力很大。开展植物精油对我国常见木材霉菌及变色菌的综合抑菌效力的研究,可为天然环保型木材霉变防治剂的开发提供重要依据。【方法】配制经植物精油修正的马铃薯葡萄糖琼脂培养基,通过评价霉变菌在培养基中的生长状况,对比分析19种植物精油对6种木材霉变菌的抑菌效力。【结果】在体积分数为0.05%的条件下,19种植物精油对黑曲霉Aspergillus niger、桔青霉Penicillam citrinum、绿色木霉Trichoderma viride、可可球二孢Botryodiplodia theobromae、串珠镰刀菌Fusarium moniliforme和链格孢霉Alternaria alternata的抑菌效力分别为0~100%、0~100%、0~100%、0~100%、11%~100%和20%~100%。聚类分析表明,肉桂、丁香花和百里香精油的综合抑菌效力最高,在体积分数0.05%的条件下对6种霉变菌的抑菌效力均达到100%,而尤加利、甜橙和松树精油的综合抑菌效力最低。相关分析表明,植物精油对6种霉变菌的抑菌效力之间均表现出显著相关性(P=0.01),其Pearson相关系数为0.777~0.959。【结论】不同植物精油的抑菌效力之间表现出较大差异,肉桂、丁香花和百里香精油是可以用于木材霉变防治的较优品种。     

A HPTLC densitometric determination of luteolin in Thymus vulgaris and its extracts

Luteolin content in Thymus vulgaris and its extracts have been compared. Luteolin was separated on a thin- layer of silica gel with three-step gradient elution and determined by HPTLC-photodensitometry. The proposed method is simple and sensitive and can be used for the routine assay of luteolin in phytomedicines containing thyme extracts.     

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity of Thymus pubescens extract

Thymus pubescens is an aromatic and medicinal plant, which has been widely distributed in Iran. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the T. pubescens aerial parts methanol extract were studied at doses of 50-400 mg/kg i.p. using carrageenan-induced edema, formalin, hot plate and writhing tests. The extract produced a significant decrease in the degree of swelling, 3 h after carrageenan injection and caused graded inhibition of both phases of formalin-induced pain. Moreover, in the hot plate test, it significantly raised the pain threshold. While in the writhing test produced a significant decrease in the number of writhing in comparison with the control group (P<0.001). The results of pharmacological tests performed in the present study suggest that the extract of T. pubescens presents analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.     

Antibacterial effects of commercial essential oils over locally prevalent pathogenic strains in Mexico

Locally prevalent pathogenic bacteria 189 Gram (-) and 135 Gram (+) strains, all isolated from pediatric patients severely infected, were tested in vitro against 11 essential oils from commercial origin. All the strains showed resistance to selected antibiotics. Cinnamomum verum, Origanum vulgare and Thymus vulgaris exhibited the highest and broadest antibacterial activity. Emphasis is made in the potential implications of these resources, uncommon at the clinical setting of the study, employed against non-commercial, locally pathogenic strains, being a step to submit in the ensuing period essential oils from plants used in Mexican traditional medicine.     

防治木材变色的植物精油优选

为了开发木材变色防治用的天然环保产品,选用19种植物精油,依据精油的挥发速率及其对培养基中变色菌的抑菌效力,筛选综合性能较优的精油产品。结果表明,植物精油的挥发速率为7.9~550.8g·m^-2·h^-1,迷迭香和丝柏精油挥发较快,而雪松、肉桂和安息香精油挥发较慢。随着植物精油的体积分数由0.01%提高至0.05%,其对可可球二孢和串珠镰刀菌的平均抑菌效力分别由19%和21%增加至50%和59%,抑菌性能明显增强。以抑菌效力为变量的聚类分析表明,肉桂、丁香花、柠檬草和百里香4种植物精油对两种变色菌表现出较优的抑菌特性,其在体积分数0.05%条件下的抑菌效力达到100%。综合考虑抑菌效力和作用持久性,肉桂、丁香花和柠檬草精油是防治可可球二孢和串珠镰刀菌的较优品种。     

兴安百里香离体快繁技术研究

为提高兴安百里香繁殖速度,研究了兴安百里香的离体快繁技术。研究结果表明:以带腋芽茎段为外植体,1g·LHgCl2消毒7 min为宜;适宜的诱导愈伤组织培养基为MS+6-BA0.25 mg·L-1+IAA1.0 mg·L-1,适宜的愈伤组织分化培养基为MS+6-BA0.5 mg·L-1+IAA0.5 mg·L-1,适宜的继代增殖培养基为MS+IBA0.5 mg·L-1,适宜的最佳生根培养基为1/2MS+IBA0.5 mg·L-1。     

Effect of essential oils of some medicinal plants on phytonematodes

The essential oils of four medicinal plants belonging to Lamiaceae were explored for phytonematode control. The four oils inhibited (P<0.05) nematode motility butMentba spicata was generally more effective in reducing the numbers of active nematodes followed byThymus vulgaris, Majorana bortensis andMentba longifolia. The main corresponding compound of each oil, determined by GLC analysis, was carvone (58.14%), P-cymene (40.5%), terpinen-4-ol (41.6%) and carvone (70.36%). Soil stages of the reniform nematode were more affected by the oil than those of the ring and lance nematodes. When transferred to water, the total nematodes that regained their activeness ranged from 12% forT. vulgaris to 60% forM. longifolia. The four 0.1 oil solutions inhibited more than to about 3.5% at the control. The content of oxygenated compounds in these oils ranged from 45.79% to 96.5% and may be partially responsible for the nematicidal effects.     

Antibacterial activity of essential oils,their blends and mixtures of their main constituents against some strains supporting livestock mastitis

Ten of the most known and used commercial essential oils (Cinnamomum zeylanicum L., Citrus bergamia Risso, Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Origanum majorana L., Origanum vulgare L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Satureja montana L., Thymus vulgaris L. ct. carvacrol, Thymus vulgaris L. ct. thymol) were tested against six bacteria strains Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus warneri, Staphylococcus xylosus and Escherichia coli, responsible for mastitis in animals. The best results were achieved by S. montana, T. vulgaris ct. thymol and O. vulgare. Two binary mixtures of essential oils (EOs) were prepared of S. montana and T. vulgaris ct. thymol (ST) and of S. montana and O. vulgare (SO). The ST mixture exhibited the best inhibitory activity against all the tested bacterial strains. Two artificial mixtures of carvacrol/thymol (AB) and carvacrol/thymol/p-cymene (CD) were prepared and tested against all of the bacterial strains used. The results exhibited a general reduction of the inhibitory activity of mixture AB, although not reaching the inhibition of the ST and SO mixtures. However the mixture CD presented an apparent strong inhibition against S. aureus and S. sciuri. The EO mixtures and the mixture CD represent promising phytotherapic approaches against bacteria strains responsible for environmental mastitis.     

Contact,fumigant, and cytotoxic activities of thyme and lemongrass essential oils against larvae and an ovarian cell line of the cabbage looper,Trichoplusia ni

The chemical composition of a plant essential oil can be affected by many environmental and biological factors. Understanding the role of individual constituents as well as their interactions to the overall insecticidal bioactivity is prerequisite to the use of essential oils as an alternative to conventional insecticides. In the present study, the chemical compositions of plant essential oils obtained from Thymus vulgaris (thyme) and Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and the insecticidal and cytotoxic activities of individual constituents were evaluated against third instar larvae and an ovarian cell line of Trichoplusia ni. Thymol was the most abundant compound in thyme oil and the primary active constituent in contact and cytotoxicity tests, whereas p-cymene was the most effective compound for fumigant toxicity. In lemongrass oil, citral was identified as the major active and most abundant constituent. A weak correlation between insecticidal activity and cytotoxicity was observed, indicating limitation of the latter as a screening tool for novel insecticides. Although the evaporation of thymol was enhanced at higher temperatures, its contribution to fumigant activity was limited.     

适宜长春地区栽植的芳香植物的引种试验

在长春地区,对9种芳香植物进行引种栽培试验,结果表明:阔叶百里香、直立百里香、柠檬百里香、金边百里香、猫薄荷、藿香、海索草表现优异,长势与次生引种地相同,可以不采取任何防寒措施安全越冬;鼠尾草表现一般,长势较弱,但在长春可以越冬;香蜂花在长春无法露地越冬,全部死亡。     

Insecticidal properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thymus persicus</Emphasis> essential oil against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tribolium castaneum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sitophilus oryzae</Emphasis>

Red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) are considered to be the major insect pests in storage. Essential oils from aromatic plants are recognized as proper alternatives to fumigants. Thymus persicus (Ronniger ex Rech. f.) is one of these plants that have medicinal properties and is indigenous to Iran. The essential oil was obtained from aerial parts of the plant and analyzed by GC and GC–MS. Carvacrol (44.69%) and thymol (11.05%) were the major constituents of the oil extracted. In this experiment, fumigant toxicity of the essential oil was studied against T. castaneum, S. oryzae at 27 ± 1°C and 60 ± 5% RH in dark condition. The adult insects were exposed to the concentrations of 51.9, 111.1, 207.4 and 370.4 μl/l air to estimate median lethal time (LT₅₀) values. The fumigant toxicity was increased in response to increased essential oil concentrations. The LT₅₀ values at the lowest and the highest concentrations tested were ranged from 28.09 to 13.47 h for T. castaneum, and 3.86 to 2.30 h for S. oryzae. It was found that S. oryzae adults were much more susceptible to the oil than T. castaneum. After 24 h of exposure, the LC₅₀ values (95% fiducial limit) for T. castaneum and S. oryzae were estimated to be 236.9 (186.27–292.81) and 3.34 (2.62–4.28) μl/l air, respectively. These results suggest that T. persicus essential oil merits further study as potential fumigant for the management of these stored-product insects.     

Inhibition of Clotrimazole-resistant Candida albicans by plants used in Iranian folkloric medicine

In vitro anticandidal activity of methanol extracts of 42 plant species of 29 families used in Iranian folkloric medicine were evaluated at 20 mg/ml concentration against Clotrimazole-resistant Candida albicans. Nineteen plant species in 16 families showed anticandidal activities. The lowest MIC of 0.62 mg/ml belonged to Terminalia chebula and Thymus vulgaris.     

Screening of some rare endemic Italian plants for inhibitory activity on 5-lipoxygenase

The extracts of four rare plants found on the islands of Sicily, Vulcano and Marettimo, Southern Italy, were screened for their inhibitory effect on the production of leukotriene B4 by 5-lipoxygenase in intact cells. The methanol extracts of pods of Cytisus aeolicus and aerial parts of Thymus richardii were the most active extracts, inhibiting almost completely the leukotriene B4 production at 200 and 50 microg/ml, respectively.     

三种蕨类植物挥发油的化学成分研究

分别提取江南卷柏、海金沙和凤尾草的地上部分的挥发油,经气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)联机分析,分离出90、38和57个峰,确认出其中86、36、55种成分,3者相同的物质有16种,挥发油主要成分为高级烷烃、烯烃、醇、酚及醛,所鉴定的组分分别占总峰面积的95．56％、94．74％和96．49％。     

Insecticidal activity of synthetic antioxidants,natural phytochemicals,and essential oils against an <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus</Emphasis> section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Flavi</Emphasis> vector (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryzaephilus surinamensis</Emphasis> L.) in microcosm

The purpose of this study is to investigate the insecticidal activity of two benzoic acids 2(3)-tert-butyl-4 hydroxyanisole (BHA) and 2,6-di(tert-butyl)-p-cresol (BHT); two phenolic acids 3-phenyl-2-propenoic acid (CA) and trans-4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid (FA); and two essential oils of Eugenia caryophyllata (clove tree) and Thymus vulgaris (thyme) against Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) vector carrier of aflatoxigenic fungi on stored peanut. The weight loss of peanut, susceptibility of insects, Aspergillus isolation frequency from insects and peanut, and aflatoxin B₁ analyses from peanut were determined. BHA, BHT, and BHA/BHT mixture were highly effective against O. surinamensis, these chemical agents give 100% mortality at the doses assayed. Essential oil of thyme at 2,000 and 3,000 ppm were highly effective against O. surinamensis, these concentrations gave 100% mortality. No Aspergillus section Flavi contamination was observed in dead insects collected from peanut treated with BHA/BHT mixture. No differences were observed in the fresh weight of pods peanut among treatments with and without chemical agents. All samples of treated peanut pods showed complete inhibition of this toxin after 120 days of storage. Our results indicate that these substances could be evaluated further for the control of pest vectors of aflatoxigenic fungi of stored peanut.     

杉木心材精油对黑胸散白蚁的触杀毒性研究

以水蒸汽蒸馏法提取杉木心材精油,其精油得率为0.73％～0.79％.用毒土法进行杉木心材精油对黑胸散白蚁的触杀毒性试验,结果表明:杉木心材精油对黑胸散白蚁具有较强的触杀毒性,且其毒性的大小与处理时间和浓度有关;当其浓度为160m/L时,72 h内白蚁死亡率为100％.     

Analysis of essential oils from wild and micropropagated plants of damiana (Turnera diffusa)

Damiana is a medicinal plant with many traditional uses and a reputation as an aphrodisiac. Essential oils produced by this plant are used in traditional medicine, and for the preparation of liquors and tea. The composition of essential oils from wild damiana, plants grown with micropropagated methods involving cell suspension, and explants in solid medium, is presented. Relevant differences are observed in oils coming from wild and micropropagated plants, where micropropagated plants being more uniform with respect to quality and quantity. The most abundant constituents of the oils were caryophyllene oxide, caryophyllene, delta-cadinene, elemene and 1,8-cineol.