Chemical composition and insecticide activity of lemon verbena essential oil

Essential oil extracted from the leaves of Lemon verbena, Lippia citriodora Kunth (Verbenaceae) was tested for fumigant toxicity in the laboratory against two stored-product insects Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val and Callosobruchus maculatus (F.). The chemical composition of the isolated oil was examined by GC-MS. The major compounds were citral (11.3%), limonene (10.6%), neral (7.9%), 4-phenyl undecan-4-ol (7.7%), α-curcumene (6.5%), α-cedrol (4.5%) and caryophyllene oxide (4.5%). Furthermore, lesser amounts of the other components include carveol (3.7%), linalool (3.5%), α-pinene (3.2%), caryophyllene (2.8%) and geranyl acetat (1.8%) were existed in the essential oil. In the fumigant toxicity set at 27 ± 1 °C and 65 ± 5% R. H., darkness condition and 24 h exposure time, considerable differences in mortality of insect to essential oil vapor were observed. C. maculatus  (LC50 = 10.2 µl/l air) was significantly more susceptible than T. confusum  (LC50 = 497.8 µl/l air). These results suggested that essential oil  of L. citriodora could be used as a potential control agent against stored-product insects.

Chemical composition and insecticide activity of lemon verbena essential oil Keywords:

Essential oil , GC-Mass , Insecticide , Lippia citriodora