Constituents of the essential oil of Suregada zanzibariensis leaves are repellent to the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae s.s.
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Date
2009-09
Authors
Ester, Innocent
Joseph, Cosam C.
Gikonyo, Nicholas K.
Nkunya, Mayunga H.H.
Hassanali, Ahmed
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pubmed
Abstract
In traditional African communities, repellent volatiles from certain plants generated by direct
burning or by thermal expulsion have played an important role in protecting households
against vectors of malaria and other diseases. Previous research on volatile constituents of
plants has shown that some are good sources of potent mosquito repellents. In this
bioprospecting initiative, the essential oil of leaves of the tree, Suregada zanzibariensis Verdc.
(Angiospermae: Euphobiaceae) was tested against the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae s.s. Giles
(Diptera: Culicidae) and found to be repellent. Gas chromatography (GC), GC-linked mass
spectrometry (GC-MS) and, where possible, GC-co-injections with authentic compounds, led
to the identification of about 34 compounds in the essential oil. About 56% of the constituents
were terpenoid ketones, mostly methyl ketones. Phenylacetaldehyde (14.4%), artemisia
ketone (10.1%), (1S)-(-)-verbenone (12.1%) and geranyl acetone (9.4%) were the main
constituents. Apart from phenylacetaldehyde, repellent activities of the other main
constituents were higher than that of the essential oil. The blends of the main constituents in
proportions found in the essential oil were more repellent to An. gambiae s.s. than was the
parent oil (p < 0.05), and the presence of artemisia ketone in the blend caused a significant
increase in the repellency of the resulting blend. These results suggested that blends of some
terpenoid ketones can serve as effective An. gambiae s.s. mosquito repellents.
Description
Publisher version (Pubmed) available www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20569134
doi: 10.1673/031.010.5701
doi: 10.1673/031.010.5701
Keywords
Methyl ketone terpenes, traditional uses of plants, Verbenaceae
Citation
Journal of Insect Science: Vol. 10 | Article 57