Abstract
Bacopa caroliniana (BC) is a perennial creeping herb and popular aquarium plant. This plant is easily cultivated; consequently, it has the potential to be a raw material which is readily available for mass production if it contains useful bioactive substances. The information about the functionality of this plant has been very limited. Therefore, the aims of this research were to analyze the composition of the essential oil (EO) of BC and to study its insecticidal effect on rice weevils. Moreover, the interactive effects of active compounds of the EO on this activity were also investigated. A total of 18 volatile compounds was identified, accounting for ca. 94% of the BC-EO in terms of quantity. Of them, α-terpinolene was the largest compound. The impact of individual volatile compounds on the inhibition of acetylcholine esterase and insecticidal activity were determined. α-Terpinolene exhibited the highest activity on these assays. Both additive and synergistic effects existed in terms of the insecticidal activity. Many compounds found in the BC-EO are widely present in other EOs. Thus, the information obtained from this study is useful for EO-related research, applications in selecting EOs or in seeking the best combination of EOs or individual compounds to achieve efficient insecticidal effects.
Highlights
Many herbs have been used as food or medicine since ancient times because they contain a wide variety of bioactive phytochemicals, which have been reported to reduce the risk of diseases and promote health [1]
Excluding the compounds that were trace in quantity (
In terms of the quantity, monoterpene hydrocarbons were the largest group among the identified compounds in the EO
Summary
Many herbs have been used as food or medicine since ancient times because they contain a wide variety of bioactive phytochemicals, which have been reported to reduce the risk of diseases and promote health [1]. Essential oils (EOs) are mainly responsible for the aroma of aromatic plants and provide plenty of functionality such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pesticide repelling or insecticidal activity. In regard to insect pests, some are a detrimental threat to stored grains, which may cause the physical, nutritional, and quality deterioration of the grains. Of all the coleopteran pests of stored grains, the most damaging species of storage insects are found in the genus Sitophilus. Rice weevils (Sitophilus oryzae L.) are an internal feeding insect pest that bores into stored grains, causing damage by consuming the grains [2]. The management of agricultural pests has been largely dependent on the use of synthetic chemical pesticides for the field and post-harvest protection of crops
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