Abstract
The herb essential oil of Ocimum sanctum from Nigeria was investigated for mosquito larvicidal activity and its composition studied by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the first time. A good larvicidal action (LD50 85.11 ppm) against fourth instar Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which was far less than that of a positive control, endosulphan (LC50, 0.96 ppm) was observed for the oil. Seventeen components representing 88.4 % of total oil were fully identified. Oxygenated monoterpenes (51.1 %) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (27.5 %) formed the main chemical groups in the oil. The major constituents of the oil were methyleugenol (44.7 %) and isocaryophyllene (16.8 %), which categorise the oil into a different chemical variety.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 148-153 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of Essential Oil-Bearing Plants |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2008 |
Keywords
- Aedes aegypti
- Essential oil
- Isocaryophyllene
- Larval toxicity
- Methyleugenol
- Ocimum sanctum
