Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from Brazilian Legal Amazon Plants againstAedes aegyptiL. (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

The mosquitoAedes aegyptiL. (Diptera: Culicidae) is the major vector of dengue and chikungunya fever. The lack of effective therapies and vaccines for these diseases highlights the need for alternative strategies to control the spread of virus. Therefore, this study investigated the larvicidal potential of essential oils from common plant species obtained from the Chapada das Mesas National Park, Brazil, against third instarA. aegyptilarvae. The chemical composition of these oils was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The essential oils ofEugenia piauhiensisVellaff.,Myrcia erythroxylonO. Berg,Psidium myrsinitesDC., andSiparuna camporum(Tul.) A. DC. were observed to be mainly composed of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The essential oil ofLippia gracilisSchauer was composed of oxygenated monoterpenes. Four of the five tested oils were effective against theA. aegyptilarvae, with the lethal concentration (LC50) ranging from 230 to 292 mg/L after 24 h of exposure. Overall, this work demonstrated the possibility of developing larvicidal products againstA. aegyptiby using essential oils from the flora of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. This in turn demonstrates the potential of using natural resources for the control of disease vectors.