Repellent and Toxicant Effects of Eight Essential Oils against the Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

This study was conducted to compare the repellent effect and contact toxicity of eight essential oils (EOs), including Syzygium aromaticum, Allium sativum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Lavandula officinalis, Simmondsia chinensis, Matricaria chamomilla, Citrus limon, and Prunus dulcis, against adults of Tribolium castaneum Herbst. Four concentrations (1, 5, 10, and 15% in acetone solvent) of each EO were tested. The 5, 10, and 15% concentrations of S. aromaticum EO had a high repellency effect against T. castaneum compared with A. sativum, E. camaldulensis, L. officinalis, S. chinensis, M. chamomilla, C. limon, and P. dulcis after 30 min of exposure. The repellency test of the S. aromaticum, E. camaldulensis, L. officinalis, M. chamomilla, C. limon, and P. dulcis EOs on T. castaneum has shown that the mortality percentages enhanced with the increase in the EOs concentration and also with the exposure time. The 15% concentration of P. dulcis and M. chamomilla EOs have a significant impact on the mortality rate of T. castaneum compared with S. aromaticum, A. sativum, E. camaldulensis, L. officinalis, and S. chinensis after the 24 h of contact test. Moreover, the 15% concentration of the C. limon EO caused a greater mortality percentage compared with S. aromaticum, A. sativum, E. camaldulensis, and L. officinalis. It could be concluded that using the S. aromaticum EO as a repellent oil and using P. dulcis, M. chamomilla, and C. limon for contact toxicity to treat the flour infested by T. castaneum can play an important role in protecting stored grains and their products.

Evaluation of the In Vitro Fungicidal Activity of Summer Savory and Lavender Essential Oils Against Fusarium solani

Fusarium spp is one of the major phytopathogenic microfungus strains causing severe losses in many economically cultivated crops. The soil-borne pathogen Fusarium solani has historically been considered a serious agent across the globe, causing vascular wilt and root rot in agroeconomic crops and eventually leading to plant death. Three different concentrations (1 µl, 2 µl, and 4 µl) of essential oils (EO) extracted from lavender (Lavandula officinalis L.) and summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) plants were mixed separately with PDA medium, and their antifungal effect against F. solani was investigated in vitro. When the results of the experiment were evaluated statistically, it was determined that the increasing concentrations of summer savory essential oil repressed the mycelial growth of the fungus, while lavender oil did not have any positive or negative effects. The inhibition activity of summer savory EO on F. solani was calculated as 43, 53, and 90% at the concentrations of 1, 2, and 4 µl, respectively. In this study, it was found that summer savory EO, even at a minimum dose, had a negative effect on agriculturally important wilt agent. In this context, it can be asserted that summer savory EO is a promising natural substance for the development of various fungicide solutions to prevent fungal diseases caused by vascular origin.

CONTROLE DA QUALIDADE E PADRONIZAÇÃO DA VEICULAÇÃO DO ÓLEO ESSENCIAL DE LAVANDA EM ÓLEO FIXO DE SEMENTES DE GIRASSOL

Introdução: Óleos essenciais de lavanda (OL) são mundialmente utilizados, pelo seu aroma, efeitos no relaxamento muscular, atividade espasmolítica e efeitos sedativos, investigados em várias espécies, incluindo o homem, pela inalação dos seus vapores. Preparações em diluições do OL são utilizadas em massagens corporais, objetivando o relaxamento muscular. Esses efeitos terapêuticos são atribuídos aos monoterpenos linalol (L) e acetato de linalila (AL) que respondem pela redução geral das atividades através do estímulo olfativo. Trabalhos anteriores do nosso grupo, mostraram a abordagem da aromaterapia como estratégia para o alívio da dor em gestantes, sendo o óleo essencial de Lavanda angustifolia o mais utilizado no alívio da dor durante o trabalho de parto, bem como na redução da ansiedade. Todos os resultados corroboram para a ação de L e AL no favorecimento dos hormônios femininos presentes no trabalho de parto, pela supressão do neocórtex e ação do “cérebro primitivo”, ao favorecer concentração e tranquilidade à mulher. Objetivos: Objetiva-se o controle da qualidade dos óleos empregados e das preparações, uma padronização do uso e garantia da eficácia e segurança e rotulagem desta formulação, seguindo padrão estabelecido pela ANVISA para produtos fitoterápicos tradicionais. Material e Métodos: Avaliamos duas marcas de OL, por diferentes metodologias em CG-EM e após a semiquantificação dos biomarcadores L e AL foi definida a padronização veicular do OL em óleo fixo de girassol (Heliantus annuus) (OG), pelas suas propriedades emolientes e umectantes. Resultados: 1% p/v de OL em OG, a concentração de [L+LA] quantificada variou entre 70,5-85,5%, administrando-se dose de 20 mL padronizada entre 0,035-0,043%. Conclusão: Assim, o OL (Lavandula officinalis): 0,08mg (padronizado em 1mL / 100mL de óleo vegetal fixo, equivalente a 0,035-0,043% de linalol acetato de linalila expressos em linalol) do óleo de massagem para o alívio da dor lombar em gestantes.

EFFECT OF CHICKEN MANUREFERTILIZATION, ACTIVE DRY YEAST FOLIAR SPRAY CONCENTRATIONS AND THEIR INTERACTION ON LAVANDER (LAVANDULA OFFICINALIS, CHAIX) PLANTS GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY

A field experimental laid out at a completely randomized block design at the experimental farm of Fac. of Environ. Agric. Sci., Arish Univ., El-Arish, North Sinai Governorate, Egypt during the two successive summer seasons of 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, to study the effect of chicken manure (ChM) as N fertilizer source, dry yeast spraying concentrations and their interaction on vegetative, yield and chemical composition of lavender (Lavandula officinalis). Results showed that fertilization lavender plants with 100 % from the recommended N rate as chicken manure (ChM) recorded the maximum growth, yield and chemical constitutes of lavender. Moreover, application of dry yeast at 200 ppm increased significantly lavender growth, yield and chemical constitutes. For the interaction between chicken manure (ChM) as N fertilizer source and dry yeast concentrations the same trend were observed when plants fertilized with 100 % from the recommended N rate as chicken manure (ChM) and sprayed with 200ppm dry yeast.

Lavender (Lavandula officinalis) essential oil prevents acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammatory response

Acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP) is the most popular drug recommended and consumed for relieving mild and moderate pain and fever. Although effective in therapeutic doses, APAP overdose induces hepatotoxicity, causing acute liver failure. In this study, the hepatoprotective effects and the underlying mechanisms of Lavandula officinalis essential oil (LEO) were investigated in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. To evaluate the hepatoprotective effect, Balb /c mice were pretreated with LEO at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, once daily for seven days. On the seventh day, mice were treated with APAP (250 mg/kg) to induce hepatotoxicity. LEO significantly decreased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) compared to the APAP group. Besides, a decrease in myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, nitric oxide (NO), and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels were observed in liver samples of the LEO treated mice. Moreover, pretreatment with LEO showed significant antioxidant activity by decreasing the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonylated proteins, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and glutathione (GSH), in addition to increasing levels of the hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). Our results showed that LEO improved liver functions altered by APAP by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory induced by APAP and other oxidative stress-mediated toxicities.