Chemical Composition of Different Extracts of <i>Conyza bonariensis</i>: Insecticidal and Nematicidal Activities

Abstract

C. bonariensis (L.) Cronq. known as hairy fleabane was first described in Argentina but it is now widely spread through most warmer regions of Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Central America. In this work, a chemical analysis by liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry of the whole plant, aerial part, flowers and roots extracts of C. bonariensis harvested in Togo (West Africa) was carried out. Two acetylenic compounds Lachnophyllum ester and limonene were identified as the main components of essential oils while Lachnophyllum and Matricaria lactones were dominant in chloroform extracts. Based on the plant chemical compositions, essential oils and chloroform extracts were tested on cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus adults which are considered as one of the most cosmopolitan pests of stored beans, and on freshly hatched second-stage juveniles of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Results showed that the whole plant essential oil demonstrated an LC50/24h value of 1.75 μL oil/L air on C. maculatus while at 3.91 μL oil/L air, it showed 100% mortality. Furthermore, the plant root chloroform extracts partitioned in diethyl ether-hexane mixture showed the strongest nematicidal activity with an LC50/72h value of 0.47 mg/mL. Our findings suggest that the widely diffused plant C. bonariensis and its acetylenic constituents could be considered as potent botanical insecticidal and nematicidal agents.