scholarly journals Acaricidal and repellent activities of Litsea cubeba (Lour.) oil and 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal against Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Hwan Park ◽  
Hoi-Seon Lee ◽  
Namhyun Chung

AbstractThe bioactivity of the essential oil extracted from Litsea cubeba fruits against tick vectors of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome is unknown. In this study, L. cubeba oil and its main constituents, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal and its similar structures, were evaluated for their acaricidal and repellent activities on the unfed nymphs and adults of Haemaphysalis longicornis. L. cubeba oil displayed both acaricidal and repellent activities against both life stages. Among the constituents of L. cubeba oil, only 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal exhibited both acaricidal and repellent activities against both life stages. In a repellent bioassay, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal and L. cubeba oil at dose of 0.08 mg/cm2 provided excellent repellence (100%) against the nymphs and adults for over 60 min post-application. When the acaricidal and repellent activities of 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal and its similar structures were compared, activities of all tested derivatives were significantly less potent than those of 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal. The strong acaricidal and repellent activities of 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal in L. cubeba oil suggests that it is a promising natural candidate for developing new sustainable acaricidal and repellent agents.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1630
Author(s):  
Min-Goo Seo ◽  
Byung-Eon Noh ◽  
Hak Seon Lee ◽  
Tae-Kyu Kim ◽  
Bong-Goo Song ◽  
...  

Since 2010, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has established centers at 16 locations to monitor disease vectors and pathogens. Here, we examined tick populations to understand the geographical and temporal distribution of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) vectors in 2020. From April to November, 63,376 ticks were collected from traps to monitor tick populations, with a trap index of 41.3. Tick incidence varied from April to October, with population peaks observed for nymphs in May, adults in July, and larvae in September. The predominant tick species were Haemaphysalis longicornis, Haemaphysalis spp., H. flava, Ixodes spp., Amblyomma testudinarium, and Ixodes nipponensis. Approximately 50% of the collected ticks were pooled into 2973 groups to detect the rate of SFTSV infection in ticks. The minimum infection rate (MIR) of SFTSV was 0.2%, and Andong had the highest MIR for SFTSV (4.0%). The B3 genotype was the most prevalent (52.2%) followed by B2 (28.6%), B5 (15.9%), B4 (1.6%), and B6 (1.6%). We identified widely distributed tick species and a high degree of diversity in SFTSV strains in ticks from different geographical regions. The results may provide a basis for future epidemiological studies and risk assessments for tick-borne diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany L Schappach ◽  
Rayda K Krell ◽  
Victoria L Hornbostel ◽  
Neeta P Connally

Abstract The Asian longhorned tick (ALT), Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae), is a three-host tick that was first detected outside of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) quarantine in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, in 2017 and subsequently found in another 14 states. In its native Asia, and where it has become established in Australia and New Zealand, ALTs feed on a variety of hosts and are economically important livestock pests and competent vectors of multiple pathogens to humans and other animals. The degree to which ALT will become a persistent livestock pest or competent vector for introduced or existing pathogens in the United States is yet unclear. Because of its vast host availability, ability to reproduce asexually, known vector competence, and the presence of multiple life stages on hosts, the expansion of ALT establishment in the United States is expected, and is a significant public health and veterinary concern. In this paper, we discuss the biology, geographical distribution, life cycle and seasonal activity, reproduction, identification, medical and veterinary implications, management options, and future concerns in the United States.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jixu Li ◽  
Shuang Zhang ◽  
Wanfeng Liang ◽  
Shaowei Zhao ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundYanbian is located at the junction between China, Russia, and North Korea. We aimed to determine the species distribution and pathogens carried by ticks in Yanbian.MethodsA total of 2673 unattached ticks were collected from eight counties and cities in Yanbian and classified morphologically. Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae (CRT), spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR), severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), Theileria, and other pathogens were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction followed by phylogenetic and genotypic analyses.ResultsAccording to the morphological classification, the main tick species in Yanbian were Haemaphysalis longicornis, Ixodes persulcatus, Dermacentor silvarum, Haemaphysalis japonica, and Haemaphysalis concinna. Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae, spotted fever group Rickettsia, severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, and Theileria orientalis were detected in H. longicornis, Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae, spotted fever group Rickettsia, and severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus were detected in I. persulcatus, H. japonica, and D. silvarum, but only severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus was detected in H. concinna. Mixed infection with Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae and severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus was found in I. persulcatus and H. japonica. The gene sequences of all tested pathogens exhibited 95.7%–100% homology with sequences registered in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that different spotted fever group Rickettsia and severe fever thrombocytopenia syndrome virus genotypes were closely related to the Korean strains. We provide the first evidence for the presence of the spotted fever group Rickettsia genotypes of Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii, ompA, ompB, sca4, and rrs, in Haemaphysalis longicornis in Yanbian. ConclusionsThese results provide epidemiological data to support the prevention and control of ticks and tick-borne diseases in the border areas of China, North Korea, and Russia.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Tufts ◽  
Laura B. Goodman ◽  
Meghan C. Benedict ◽  
April D. Davis ◽  
Meredith C. VanAcker ◽  
...  

AbstractHaemaphysalis longicornis, the Asian longhorned tick, is an invasive ixodid tick that has rapidly spread across the northeastern and southeastern regions of the United States since first reported in 2017. The emergence of H. longicornis presents a potential threat for livestock, wildlife, and human health as the host associations and vector potential of this invasive pest in the United States are poorly understood. Previous field data from the United States has shown that H. longicornis was not associated with natural populations of small mammals or birds, but they show a preference for medium sized mammals in laboratory experiments. Therefore, medium and large sized mammals were sampled on Staten Island, New York to determine H. longicornis host associations and vector potential for a range of human and veterinary pathogens. A total of 97 hosts were sampled and five species of tick (Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, H. longicornis, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes cookei) were found feeding concurrently on these hosts. Haemaphysalis longicornis was found in the highest proportions compared to other native tick species on raccoons (55.4%), Virginia opossums (28.9%), and white-tailed deer (11.5%). Tissue, blood, and engorged larvae were tested for 17 different pathogens using a nanoscale PCR platform. Infection with five pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Mycoplasma haemocanis, and Bartonella spp.) was detected in host samples, but no pathogens were found in any larval samples. These results suggest that although large and medium sized mammals feed large numbers of H. longicornis ticks in the environment there is presently a low potential for H. longicornis to acquire pathogens from these wildlife hosts.HighlightsH. longicornis were sampled from seven genera of large and medium-sized mammalsRaccoons, opossums, and white-tailed deer fed a large proportion of H. longicornisH. longicornis did not acquire pathogens through co-feeding with native tick vectorsHost species were infected with a range of pathogens of human and veterinary concernHost-derived H. longicornis engorged larvae were not infected with any pathogens


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desmond Onyeka Agwunobi ◽  
Tingwei Pei ◽  
Xiaoshuang Wang ◽  
Zhijun Yu ◽  
Jing-Ze Liu

Abstract Background: The tick Haemaphysalis longicornis is well known as vector of several zoonotic pathogens responsible for various clinical conditions, increasingly threatens the veterinary and public health. It is mainly distributed in East Asia, New Zealand, Australia, and several Pacific islands, and has been expanded rapidly in United States since its first founding on a nonimported domestic sheep in New Jersey. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are phase II detoxification enzymes, which function via combining with pesticidal molecules and catalyzing the conjugation of molecules by thiol of glutathione, so as to protect tissues from oxidative stress damage. In the tick H. longicornis, glutathione S-transferases (HlGST and HlGST2) have been previously identified. However, the relationship between the expression of glutathione S-transferases and the essential oil treatment in ticks remains unexplored. Hence, in the present study, the expression profiles of HlGST and HlGST2 mRNAs were evaluated in H. longicornis after exposure to Cymbopogon citratus essential oil. Results: At 24 h post-exposure of H. longicornis to different sublethal concentrations of C. citratus essential oil, ANOVA results revealed significant difference (F2,6 = 55.94, P = 0.0001) in the expression of HlGST. Tukey’s test showed that HlGST was significantly induced after treatment with 1% C. citratus essential oil (P = 0.0002); whereas no significant difference (P = 0.3551) was detected after treated by 2% C. citratus essential oil. No significant difference (F2,6 = 0.8990, P = 0.4555) in the expression of HlGST2 between the treatment and the control group of 50% ethanol. Nevertheless, the under-expression of HlGST2 in the treatment groups versus the untreated control group was not significant (F3,8 = 2.643, P = 0.1208). Conclusion: The results implied that GST mRNA is a potential molecular target for C. citratus essential oil in H. longicornis. Further understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the GST at the molecular level could contribute to develop effective control measures for ticks and tick-borne diseases.


RSC Advances ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (50) ◽  
pp. 28987-28995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liqun Wang ◽  
Wei Hu ◽  
Jiao Deng ◽  
Xin Liu ◽  
Jun Zhou ◽  
...  

Litsea cubebaessential oil (LCEO) extracted from the fruit of theLitseatree is a broad-spectrum bacteriostatic agent that has been used to treat ailments for thousands of years in China.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1501000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syaliza Abdul Hammid ◽  
Fasihuddin Ahmad

The essential oils from different parts of Litsea cubeba, collected from the highlands of Sarawak, were isolated and their chemical compositions analyzed. This study demonstrated significant variations in the chemical compositions and the chemical profiles of the volatiles and could provide valuable supplementary information on the geographical variations of the species. The fruit essential oil was dominated by citronellal, d-limonene and citronellol, while the leaf oil was high in eucalyptol and α-terpineol. High concentrations of citronellal and citronellol in both the root and bark oils were identified. In the stem, the oil was dominated by eucalyptol, d-limonene and α-terpineol. The activity of the oils against brine shrimp larvae, bacteria, yeast and fungi was determined. The oils were toxic against brine shrimp larvae with LC50 values ranging from 25.1 – 30.9 μL/mL. The oils also demonstrated a wide spectrum of inhibition against microorganisms with inhibition zones between 19.5 – 46.7 mm against Gram-positive bacteria and 10.5 – 90.0 mm against yeast and fungi. However, the oils were not active against Gram-negative bacteria.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 918-930
Author(s):  
Desmond O. Agwunobi ◽  
Tingwei Pei ◽  
Jia Yang ◽  
Xiaoshuang Wang ◽  
Lihong Lv ◽  
...  

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are phase II detoxification enzymes, which function via combining with pesticidal molecules and catalyzing the conjugation of molecules by thiol of glutathione, so as to protect tissues from oxidative stress damage. In the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis, glutathione S-transferases (HlGST and HlGST2) have been previously identified. However, the relationship between the transcription of glutathione S-transferases and the essential oil treatment in ticks remains unexplored. Hence, in the present study, the transcription profiles of HlGST and HlGST2 mRNAs were evaluated in H. longicornis after exposure to Cymbopogon citratus essential oil. At 24 h post-exposure of H. longicornis to different sublethal concentrations of C. citratus essential oil, there was significant difference (P = 0.0001) in the transcription of HlGST. Tukey’s test showed that HlGST was significantly induced after treatment with 1% C. citratus essential oil (P = 0.0002); whereas no significant difference (P = 0.3551) was detected after treated by 2% C. citratus essential oil. No significant difference (P = 0.4555) in the transcription of HlGST2 between the treatment and the control group of 50% ethanol. Nevertheless, the down-regulation of HlGST2 in the treatment groups versus the untreated control group was not significant (P = 0.1208). The above results imply that the essential oil can modulate the expression of GST mRNA, therefore, further understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the GST at the molecular level could contribute to the development of effective control measures for ticks and tick-borne diseases.


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