IN VITRO EFFECT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CITRONELLA, SANTA MARIA HERB (Chenopodium ambrosioides) AND QUASSIA TINCTURE ON CATTLE TICK Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

The tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is an ectoparasite which causes high financial losses to the production of Brazilian cattle. The control of this parasite is accomplished by the administration of chemical products, but they are not adequately used, leading to high costs and stimulating the selection of resistant parasites. Thus, the objective of this experiment was to assess the in vitro efficiency of different formulations containing an association of citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), Santa Maria herb (Chenopodium ambrosioides) and quassia (Quassia amara) tinctures on the bovine tick R. microplus. For this, engorged females of the parasite were submitted to the laboratory immersion test. The solutions containing all three plants were tested in different concentrations. Approximately 84% of the treatments presented efficiency equal or superior to 95%. The treatments with citronella in concentration equal or superior to 5% showed better results and the concentration of 10% showed maximum efficiency, independently of the concentrations of the other two plants. The high efficiency of the solutions was attributed mainly to the reduction of egg laying and hatching rate, and, in a minor scale, to death of the engorged females. It suggests that the phytotherapic solutions are able to induce alterations on the system and reproductive capacity of the females of R. microplus in in vitro tests, besides presenting a tickicide action.