Chemical Composition and Repellent Activity of Senecio Pogonias Cabreras and Senecio oreophyton J. Remy Essential Oil from San Juan, Argentina.

ARAGÓN LM,; LÓPEZ SB; LÓPEZ ML; ZYGADLO JA,; STARIOLO R,; TAPIA A; FERESIN GE

Potrero de los Funes, San Luis

Congreso; XXX Annual Meeting CUYO BIOLOGY SOCIETY; 2012

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Chagas disease is a major public health concern in Argentina with estimates near three millions infected people. Essential oils (EO) from two Senecio species (Asteraceae) were assayed in vitro for their repellence activity against five instar nymphs of T. infestans, the vector of Chagas disease. Fresh aerial parts collected in San Juan Province were subjected to hydro distillation for 2 h in a modified Clevenger apparatus. The composition of the essential oils was examined by GC and GC-MS. Twenty nine components were identified in the EO from S. pogonias representing 97.6% of the oil and 30 components in S. oreophyton oil representing 97.3% of the oil. Main compounds were -pinene, -phelandrene and -pinene and p-mentha-1(7), 8-diene respectively. Repellency on T. infestans nymphs was determined according to a standard method. Based on the percentage of repellency (RP) in a 72-h treatment, the most repellent EO was S. pogonias (60-80% RP) and S. oreophyton (40-60% RP). According to repellency classification scale oils are Class IV and III respectively.