Essential Oil of Aristolochia trilobata: Synthesis, Routes of Exposure, Acute Toxicity, Binary Mixtures and Behavioral Effects on Leaf-Cutting Ants

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22; no. 3; p. 335
• Main Authors: de Oliveira, Bruna Maria S, Melo, Carlisson R, Alves, Péricles B, Santos, Abraão A, Santos, Ane Caroline C, Santana, Alisson da S, Araújo, Ana Paula A, Nascimento, Pedro E S, Blank, Arie F, Bacci, Leandro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25-02-2017; MDPI
• Subjects: Acute toxicity; Agrochemicals; Animals; Ants - drug effects; Ants - physiology; Aristolochia - chemistry; Aristolochia trilobata; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Binary mixtures; Biocompatibility; Chromatography, Gas; Essential oils; Exposure; Flame ionization detectors; Fumigation; Gas chromatography; Insecticides; Insecticides - chemistry; Insecticides - pharmacology; Ionization; Leaves; Limonene; Linalool; Medicinal plants; Oils & fats; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; p-Cymene; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plant Oils - chemistry; Plant Oils - pharmacology; Repellency; Toxicity; Workers (insect caste); fumigation; insecticidal plant; Formicidae; additive effect; synergism; Aristolochiaceae; repellency; monoterpenes
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules22030335

Plants of the genus
have been frequently reported as important medicinal plants. Despite their high bioactive potential, to date, there are no reports of their effects on leaf-cutting ants. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the insecticidal activity of the essential oil of
and its major components on
and
, two species of leaf-cutting ants. The bioassays were performed regarding routes of exposure, acute toxicity, binary mixtures of the major components and behavioral effects. Twenty-five components were identified in the essential oil of
using a gas chromatographic system equipped with a mass spectrometer and a flame ionization detector. The components found in higher proportions were sulcatyl acetate, limonene,
-cymene and linalool. The essential oil of
and its individual major components were efficient against
and
workers when applied by fumigation. These components showed fast and efficient insecticidal activity on ants. The components acted synergistically and additively on
and
, respectively, and caused a strong repellency/irritability in the ants. Thus, our results demonstrate the great potential of the essential oil of
and its major components for the development of new insecticides.