ABSTRACT
There is moment more than 1 billion people who are suffer with malaria disease and each year it causes up to 2 million deaths therefore it is shown that malaria is the worlds worst health problem. The value of insecticides in malaria control is much reduced. Tagetes minuta L. is effective deterrents of numerous insect pests. Tagetes minuta L. is an annual plant, grows to the temperate grasslands and mountainous regions of southern South America, including of Argentina, Brazil and Peru. Tagetes minuta L. have a long history of human use as beverage, condiment and ornamentals as medicinal decoctions. Essential oil of T. minuta is used in perfume, food and cosmetic industries as [Tagetes Oil]. Chemical composition and antilarval effects of the essential oil of Tagetes minuta L. cultivated in Iran was investigated. In this study component of the essential oil of dried and fresh Tagetes minuta L. were investigated by GC and GC/MS and larvicidal effect of these essential oil were evaluated against Anopheles stephensi larvae s. The yield of volatile oil of dried plant was 1% and for fresh plant was 1/1%. Major constituents of the essential oil of dried plant were contained: trans-Ocimenone [19.89%], Cis-Ocimene [17.67%], dihydrotagetone [5.56%], Cis-Tagetone [5.03%], and for fresh plant contains: Cis-Ocimene [33.7%], Cis-Ocimenone [9.6%], transOcimenone [8.12%], limonene [5.5%], allocimene [5.4] and Cis-tagetone [4.95%].The effectiveness of various concentrations of total essential oil on malaria vector larvae, Anopheles stephensi were investigated and probit mortality all the parameters including LC[50] and 95% of confidence interval, LC[90] and 95% confidence interval were determined. They were: LCso: 1.3015mg/l, LC9o: 5.0719 mg/1 respectively for dried plant, the figures for fresh were: LC[50]: 1.0532 mg/1, LC[90]: 3.8311 mg/1. In this research, we studied on essential oil of T. minuta to find some natural product with less side effect on ecosystem and maximum efficacy. Result of our study showed that the essential oil of Tagetes minuta L. which was grown in Iran-Tehran [Zard - Band] had a great amount of biological effect on the larvae of Anopheles stephensi. Therefore, the essential oil of this plant offer a valuable candidate for potential development of a botanical larvicide for malaria vectors control