Chemical composition and insecticidal properties of Cinnamomum aromaticum (Nees) essential oil against the stored product beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (F.)

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 89; no. 7; pp. 1241 - 1246
• Main Authors: Islam, Rezuanul, Khan, Rejaul Islam, Al-Reza, Sharif M, Jeong, Yong Tae, Song, Chi Hyun, Khalequzzaman, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-05-2009; Wiley; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: Aroma and flavouring agent industries; bark; Biological and medical sciences; Callosobruchus maculatus; Chemical compounds; cinnamaldehyde; Cinnamomum; Cinnamomum aromaticum; cinnamon; eclosion; essential oil; essential oils; Flowers & plants; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; insecticidal activity; insecticidal properties; Mass spectrometry; Oils & fats; Pesticides; storage insects; Studies; Toxicity; Insecticide; Coleoptera; Insecta; Pesticides; Cinnamomum aromaticum; Properties; insecticidal activity; Callosobruchus maculatus; Arthropoda; Bruchidae; Chemical composition; Essential oil; cinnamaldehyde; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.3582

BACKGROUND: Cinnamomum aromaticum is a widely used cooking ingredient in South Asian countries. In this study the essential oil of C. aromaticum was tested against the stored product beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. The objective was to identify the natural compounds with insecticidal properties in the essential oil of C. aromaticum with a view to its potential use as an alternative to synthetic pesticides.RESULTS: The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled bark essential oil of C. aromaticum was analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and cis-cinnamaldehyde (53.90%) was found to be the principal constituent. The surface film and fumigation toxicities and repellency activity against C. maculatus were evaluated. The extracted oil showed 94.44% mortality against adult C. maculatus through the surface film bioassay. The LD₅₀ values were 27.56 and 23.16 μg cm⁻² after 24 and 48 h of exposure respectively. The regression equations were calculated as Y = 0.39 + 3.20X and Y = 1.25 + 2.75X respectively. In the fumigation bioassay the LD₅₀ value was 434.69 μg cm⁻² after 24 h of exposure, with the regression equation Y = 0.87 + 1.57X. It was also found that the extracted oil contained compounds that had a dose-dependent protective effect on egg hatching and adult emergence.CONCLUSION: The results obtained from this study suggest that the toxicity and insecticidal activity of C. aromaticum are attributable to its essential oil, which could be used as a biodegradable and natural bioprotectant for controlling stored product pests.