Composition and Anti-Insect Activity of Essential Oils from Tagetes Species (Asteraceae, Helenieae) on Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann and Triatoma infestans Klug

SANDRA B. LÓPEZ; MARÍA L. LÓPEZ; LILIANA M. ARAGÓN; MARÍA L. TERESCHUK; ALBERTO C. SLANIS; GABRIELA E. FERESIN; JULIO A. ZYGADLO; ALEJANDRO A. TAPIA

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Año: 2011 vol. 59 p. 5286 - 5292

0021-8561

Essential oils from four species of the genus Tagetes L. (Asteraceae, Helenieae) collected in Tucumán province, Argentina, were evaluated for their chemical composition, toxicity and olfactory activity on the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann adults and repellent properties on Triatoma infestans (Klug) (Chagas disease vector). Yields of essential oils range from 0.2 to 0.8 %. The same main constituents among T. minuta L., T. rupestris Cabrera and T. terniflora Kunth, (cis-trans)-ocimenes, (cis-trans)-tageteones and (cis-trans)-ocimenones, showed important differences in their relative compositions. T. filifolia Lag., was characterized by the recognized phenylpropanoids methylchavicol and trans-anethole as the main components. LD50 was 20 ug/insect or less in topical bioassays. T. rupestris was the most toxic to C. capitata females while the other oils presented similar toxicity against males and females. T. rupestris oil attracted both sexes of C. capitata at 5 ug whilst T. minuta showed opposite activities between males (attractant) and females (repellent). Oils from T. minuta and T. filifolia were the most repellent to T. infestans. The results suggest that compositions of essential oils influence their insecticidal and olfactory properties. The essential oils from Tagetes species show an important potential as infochemical agents on insects’ behaviors. This study highlights the chemical variability of essential oils as a source of variation of anti-insect properties.