Abstract
This work aims to study for the first time the chemical composition and evaluate insecticidal and repellent effects of essential oils of Premna angolensis and Premna quadrifolia leaves, against Sitotroga cerealella, an insect pest of rice stocks as alternatives to synthetic pesticides. The GC-MS analysis showed that essential oil of P. angolensis contains 29 compounds representing 96.1% of the oil and 42 compounds corresponding to 91% for the essential oil of P. quadrifolia. The main constituents regardless of the species were β-caryophyllene (13.1%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (13.5%), octen-3-ol (3.2%–28%), phytol (3.7%–4.9%), β-elemene (1.4%–21%), globulol (11.2%), germacrene-D (8.9%), α-humulene (2.9%–6.4%), α-pinene (5%), sabinene (3.7%), δ-cadinene (0.4%–3.3%), and linalool (3.3%). The results of laboratory tests showed that both essential oils have insecticidal and repellent effects on S. cerealella. Presenting the results, the damage caused by the adults and larvae of S. cerealella was evaluated by calculating the percentage of grains attacked and weight loss thereof. The results suggest that volatile extracts of P. angolensis and P. quadrifolia can be used as alternatives to synthetic chemicals in paddy protection against S. cerealella.
Highlights
The genus Premna L. (Verbenaceae) contains about 200 species worldwide, which are distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands [1, 2]
The results suggest that volatile extracts of P. angolensis and P. quadrifolia can be used as alternatives to synthetic chemicals in paddy protection against S. cerealella
The insecticidal effect of P. quadrifolia essential oil was less noticed compared to the essential oil of P. angolensis, with significant difference (P < 0.001)
Summary
The genus Premna L. (Verbenaceae) contains about 200 species worldwide, which are distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands [1, 2]. Some preparations of plants of the genus Premna have been used in the treatment of liver disorders and antioxidant as well as for their immune modulatory effects [6] in the traditional Indian system of medicine. In tropical Africa and Benin in particular, people with low purchasing power very often use odors produced by aromatic plants collected locally for the control of insects. This is the case of Premna angolensis Gurke and Premna quadrifolia Schum. Extracts from leaves of both species P. angolensis and P. quadrifolia harvested in Benin were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the first time.
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