Effect of stalk and leaf extracts from Euphorbiaceae species on Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae) larvae.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the larvicidal activity of essential oil aqueous solutions (hydrolates) obtained by steam distillation of stalks and leaves of Croton argyrophylloides, Croton nepetaefolius, Croton sonderianus and Croton zehntneri against Aedes aegypti larvae. Twenty-five larvae of third instar were placed in plastic beckers, containing the hydrolates (50 mL), in a four repetitions scheme. Water was used as control and the number of dead larvae was counted after 24 hours. The data obtained were submitted to Variance Analysis and Tukey test. Significant differences were observed among the hydrolates from different species and from different parts of each plant (p < 0.001). The hydrolates of stalk and leaf from C. nepetaefolius and C. zehntneri and leaf hydrolate of C. argyrophylloides presented 100% mortality against larvae. The compounds present in C. zenhtneri and C. nepetaefolius are oxygenated phenylpropanoids that are more soluble in water than the monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes detected in the oils of C. argyrophylloides and C. sonderianus. This study showed that all species analyzed presented compounds with larvicidal properties, with differences between each plant parts.
Lima
Maria Goretti Araújo de
MG
Curso de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil. goretti@uece.br
Maia
Ismália Cassandra Costa
IC
Sousa
Bruna Dantas de
BD
Morais
Selene Maia de
SM
Freitas
Sílvia Maria
SM
D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D003436:Croton Oil; D007306:Insecticides; D007814:Larva; D009822:Oils, Volatile
D007306:Insecticides; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D003436:Croton Oil