Chemical Composition and Acaricidal Activity of Nemuaron vieillardii Essential Oil against the Cattle Tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

Abstract

Essential oil from leaves of Nemuaron vieillardii (Baill.) Baill., a shrub used in the kanak pharmacopeia, was analyzed by gas chromatography and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The main compounds identified were safrole (49.7%), linalool (8.0%), δ-cadinene (5.1%), caryophyllene oxide (4%) and α-copaene (2.4%). This chemical composition is consistent with leaf oils of the Atherospermataceae family and demonstrates the proximity of the two genera Nemuaron and Atherosperma as regards to their essential oil compositions. The modified Larval Packet Test (LPT) was used to assess acaricidal effect of N. vieillardii essential oil on larvae of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and LC50 was then calculated to 14.67%. High content of safrole in this oil which is suspected of being a human carcinogen, poses the problem of the use of this oil in a perspective of development of alternative tick control strategy and in the traditional medicinal consumption of Nemuaron vieillardii.