Identification of Some Chemical Components of the Essential Oil from Molasses Grass (Melinis minutiflora Beauv.) and their Activity Against Cattle-Tick (Boophilus microplus)

the essential oil of molasses grass (melinis minutiflora beauv.) has shown virtually 100% lethal effect on larvae of the cattle-tick (boophilus microplus) within 10 min exposure. gc/ms analysis of the essential oil led to the identification of six major components: propionic acid, butyric acid, phenylethyl alcohol, hexanal, 1,8-cineole and 9 -e-eicosene. two of those components (1,8-cineole and n-hexanal) have also shown individually 100% lethal effect on cattle-tick larvae within 10 min. the presence of 2,6-di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol was assigned to a contaminant from commercially supplied diethyl ether used for the essential oil extraction.