title: Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from Brazilian Legal Amazon Plants against Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae).
abstract: The mosquito Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is the major vector of dengue and chikungunya fever. The lack of effective therapies and vaccines for these diseases highlights the need for alternative strategies to control the spread of virus. Therefore, this study investigated the larvicidal potential of essential oils from common plant species obtained from the Chapada das Mesas National Park, Brazil, against third instar A. aegypti larvae. The chemical composition of these oils was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The essential oils of Eugenia piauhiensis Vellaff., Myrcia erythroxylon O. Berg, Psidium myrsinites DC., and Siparuna camporum (Tul.) A. DC. were observed to be mainly composed of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The essential oil of Lippia gracilis Schauer was composed of oxygenated monoterpenes. Four of the five tested oils were effective against the A. aegypti larvae, with the lethal concentration (LC50) ranging from 230 to 292 mg/L after 24 h of exposure. Overall, this work demonstrated the possibility of developing larvicidal products against A. aegypti by using essential oils from the flora of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. This in turn demonstrates the potential of using natural resources for the control of disease vectors.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Clarice Noleto
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Patrícia Lima
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Klinger Antonio da Franca
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Cristiane Aranha
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carliane Dos Santos
authors.initials: Cdos S
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flavia Maria Mendonça
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: do Amaral
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Química, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Odair Dos Santos
authors.initials: Odos S
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Química, Universidade Federal do Pará, 66075-900 Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eloisa Helena de Aguiar
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais da Amazônia, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, 68035-110 Santarém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Guilherme Soares
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil ; Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65085-580 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denise Fernandes Coutinho
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Moraes