Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Cidade Universitária Professor José Aloísio de Campos, Avenida Marechal Rondon s/n, Rosa Elze, 49100-000, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
Acta Trop. 2013 Sep;127(3):181-6. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.04.011. Epub 2013 Apr 30.
Ants are highly abundant in neotropical regions, with certain species adapted to the urban environment, where they can cause damage to human health. The main method for controlling ants consists of using organosynthetic insecticides, which are potentially toxic to the environment. Essential plant oils are considered a viable alternative to the use of conventional insecticides. In this study, we analyze the bioinsecticidal activity and repellence of patchouli essential oil (Pogostemon cablin) against three species of urban ants: Camponotus melanoticus, Camponotus novograndensis, and Dorymyrmex thoracicus. The chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. The major compounds were patchoulol (36.6%) followed by α-bulnesene (13.95%), and α-guaiene (11.96%). Toxicity and repellency bioassays were performed using the essential oil over the ants, and mortality evaluations were performed at 4, 24, and 48 h after performing the bioassays. Mortality percentage of the ants on 7 μg/mg was on average 84%. The essential oil of P. cablin displayed toxicity against all three species of urban ants, with the lowest LD₅₀ being observed for D. thoracicus (2.02 μg oil/mg insect) after 48 h of exposure compared to C. melanoticus (2.34 μg oil/mg insect) and C. novogranadensis (2.95 μg oil/mg insect). The essential oil of P. cablin was strongly repellent to the three species of ants in all concentrations tested (0.01% and 1% v/v). Considering the potential toxicity and repellency of the P. cablin essential oil to the urban ants, future studies could investigate the practical application of this oil to control of this insects.
蚂蚁在新热带地区高度丰富，某些物种适应城市环境，在那里它们可能会对人类健康造成损害。控制蚂蚁的主要方法是使用有机合成杀虫剂，这些杀虫剂对环境有潜在毒性。植物精油被认为是替代常规杀虫剂的可行方法。在这项研究中，我们分析了广藿香精油（Pogostemon cablin）对三种城市蚂蚁（黑毛蚁、新格兰德蚁和多刺蚁）的生物杀虫活性和驱避性。通过 GC-MS 和 GC-FID 分析了精油的化学成分。主要化合物为广藿香醇（36.6%），其次为α-丁子香烯（13.95%）和α-愈创木烯（11.96%）。对蚂蚁进行了毒性和驱避性生物测定，并在生物测定后 4、24 和 48 小时进行了死亡率评估。在 7 μg/mg 时，蚂蚁的死亡率平均为 84%。P. cablin 精油对所有三种城市蚂蚁均具有毒性，在暴露 48 小时后，对 D. thoracicus 的最低 LD₅₀为 2.02 μg 油/mg 昆虫，而对 C. melanoticus（2.34 μg 油/mg 昆虫）和 C. novogranadensis（2.95 μg 油/mg 昆虫）则较高。在所有测试浓度（0.01%和 1%v/v）下，P. cablin 精油对三种蚂蚁均具有强烈的驱避性。考虑到 P. cablin 精油对城市蚂蚁的潜在毒性和驱避性，未来的研究可以调查这种油在控制这些昆虫方面的实际应用。
