EFFICIENCY OF ESSENTIAL OILS AND HOMEOPATHIC FORMULATIONS FROM Syzygium aromaticum AND Croton argyrophyllus AGAINST Rhipicephalus microplus IN VITRO

Abstract

The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, causes significant annual losses to Brazilian livestock as a result of direct and indirect damage. Control of R. microplus is based on chemical acaricides, however, the massive utilization and inappropriately use, cause environmental pollution, contamination of mammals, in addition, accelerate the selection of resistant strains. Thus, the use of botanical compounds to formulate bioacaricides is an innovation that has been studied demonstrated efficacy on this ectoparasite. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro acaricide activity of essential oils from Syzygium aromaticum and Croton argyrophyllus at concentrations of 20, 40 and 80 mg/mL, and from homeopathic formulations of the respective essential oils in the dynamizations of 6 CH, 12 CH and 30 CH, against R. microplus. To verify the acaricide action, larvae and adult immersion tests were carried out, both with essential oils and with their homeopathic products. S. aromaticum essential oil caused 100% mortality both at a concentration of 20 mg/mL and at its homeopathic preparation in 6 CH dynamization for larvae, and obtained a percentage control of 88.0% for adult females treated with essential oil in concentration of 40 mg/mL, homeopathic ultradilutions applied to females obtained results that varied from 25.6% to -4.5%, which were not significant. The results obtained in all treatments carried out with C. argyrophyllus in larvae and engorged females were not significant, demonstrating low acaricidal activity. Thus, it is concluded that the essential oil of S. aromaticum has acaricidal action on larvae and adults and has also demonstrated efficacy in homeopathic 6 CH dynamization on R. microplus larvae and in addition, it can be used as a source of molecules for the synthesis of new acaricides.