%0 Journal Article
%T GC-MS Analysis of Insecticidal Essential Oil of Aerial Parts of Echinops latifolius Tausch
%A Xin Chao Liu
%A Xianghong Hao
%A Ligang Zhou
%A Zhi Long Liu
%J Journal of Chemistry
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/249182
%X The roots of Echinops latifolius Tausch (Asteraceae) have been used in the traditional medicine. However, no report on chemical composition and insecticidal activities of the essential oil of this plant exists. The aim of this research was to determine chemical composition and insecticidal activities of the essential oil of E. latifolius aerial parts against maize weevils (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky) for the first time. Essential oil of E. latifolius aerial parts at flowering stage was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 35 components of the essential oil of E. latifolius aerial parts were identified. The major compounds in the essential oil were 1,8-cineole (19.63%), (Z)- -ocimene (18.44%), and -pinene (15.56%) followed by -myrcene (4.75%) and carvone (4.39%). The essential oil of E. latifolius possessed contact toxicity against S. zeamais with an LD50 value of 36.40£¿¦Ìg/adult. The essential oil also exhibited fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais with an LC50 value of 9.98£¿mg/L. The study indicates that the essential oil of E. latifolius aerial parts has a potential for development into a natural insecticide/fumigant for control of insects in stored grains. 1. Introduction Insects and fungi create serious quality problems in stored grains. The maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky) is one of the major pests of stored grains and grain products in China, causing serious losses in stored products [1]. The only way to eliminate pests completely from a food grain without leaving pesticide residues is fumigation [2]. Currently, there are only two commonly used fumigants for stored food, methyl bromide (MeBr) and phosphine, which have led to the resurgence of pests. In addition to the resistance developed by the insect pests, chemical application has also exerted undesirable effects on nontarget organisms and fostered environmental and human health concerns [3]. This necessitates the development of natural and safe products that are relatively less hazardous to mammalian health and the environment than existing conventional pesticides, as alternatives to nonselective synthetic pesticides to control the pests of medical and economic importance [4]. Essential oils or their constituents have demonstrated to be potential sources of alternative compounds to currently used fumigants. Essential oils and their constituents have low toxicity to warm-blooded animals, high volatility, and toxicity to stored-grain insect pests [5, 6]. During the screening program for new agrochemicals from
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jchem/2013/249182/