title: Acaricidal activity of constituents identified in Foeniculum vulgare fruit oil against Dermatophagoides spp. (Acari: Pyroglyphidae).
abstract: Acaricidal activities of components derived from Foeniculum vulgare fruit oil against Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were examined using direct contact application and compared with that of the commercial repellent benzyl benzoate. The major biologically active constituent of Foeniculum fruit oil was characterized as (+)-fenchone by spectroscopic analyses. On the basis of LD(50) values, the compound most toxic to D. farinae was p-anisaldehyde (11.3 mg/m(2)) followed by (+)-fenchone (38.9 mg/m(2)), (-)-fenchone (41.8 mg/m(2)), benzyl benzoate (89.2 mg/m(2)), thymol (90.3 mg/m(2)), and estragol (413.3 mg/m(2)). Against D. pteronyssinus, p-anisaldehyde (10.1 mg/m(2)) was much more effective than benzyl benzoate (67.5 mg/m(2)), thymol (68.5 mg/m(2)), and estragol (389.9 mg/m(2)). These results indicate that the acaricidal activity of F. vulgare fruit oil likely results from (+)-fenchone and p-anisaldehyde. (+)-Fenchone was 20.3 times more abundant in the oil than p-anisaldehyde. (+)-Fenchone and p-anisaldehyde merit further study as potential house dust mite control agents or as lead compounds.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology and Research Center for Industrial Development of Biofood Materials, Chonbuk National University, Chonju 561-756, Korea. hoiseon@moak.chonbuk.ac.kr
authors.forename: Hoi-Seon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000053:Acari; D000818:Animals; D001547:Benzaldehydes / Q000032:analysis; D001565:Benzoates; D001892:Camphanes; D030001:Foeniculum / Q000737:chemistry*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D007302:Insect Repellents; D007306:Insecticides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009636:Norbornanes / Q000032:analysis; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001547:Benzaldehydes; D001565:Benzoates; D001892:Camphanes; D007302:Insect Repellents; D007306:Insecticides; D009636:Norbornanes; D010938:Plant Oils; C027327:fenchone; C024896:4-anisaldehyde; C006723:benzyl benzoate