Essential oils from (Fabales: Fabaceae) seeds: May have insecticidal effects?

In the present study seed derived essential oils were tested against , , , and , as well as their effects on non-target species and at 24 h post treatment. The seed essential oil produced insecticidal activity against (LC = 41.679, LC = 75.212 μl/mL), (LC = 37.629, LC = 118.485 μl/mL), (LC = 56.796, LC = 201.912 μl/mL), and (LC = 62.215, LC = 241.183 μl/mL). Essential oils do not cause a remarkable effect on and cytotoxicity. The essential oils produced a lower effect on (LC = 384.382, LC = 1341.397 μl/mL) and no lethal effects were observed on . The histopathological evaluation showed no sub-lethal effects of essential oils on earthworm gut tissues. GC-MS analysis results revealed that the major chemical constituent was hexadecane (19.560%) and heptacosane (17.214%) and FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of alkanes and alkyles, aromatics, and amides functional groups that may be involved in insecticidal activity. Overall, the results showed that the seed derived essential oil has excellent insecticidal action against major agricultural insect pests and may therefore offer an environmentally benign alternative to conventional insecticide.