Efficacy of local essential oils against Amblyomma variegatum tick from Burkina Faso.

The native tick Amblyomma variegatum remains one of the most important tick species affecting cattle in West Africa. This hinders animal production by negatively impacting the health and reproduction of animals infested with the tick. Given the negative consequences on production quality and environmental health, the use of chemical products for tick control is increasingly being discouraged. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the acaricidal activity of essential oils such as Ageratum conyzoïdes, Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon giganteus, Lippia multiflora and Ocimum gratissimum against specimens of A. variegatum from Burkina Faso. A larval immersion test was performed to investigate the larvicidal activities of these essential oils. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the chemical compositions of essential oils. The chemical composition was predominantly oxygenated monoterpenes in A. conyzoïdes (48.71 %), C. citratus (99.9 %) and C. giganteus (73.63 %), while hydrocarbon monoterpenes were the most abundant in O. gratissimum (63.7 %) and hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes in L. multiflora (71.719 %). The recorded larvicidal activity, varied according to the species of plants and the dose applied. At a dose of 12.5 mg/mL, all essential oils studied, except L. multiflora (7.54 %), induced 100 % larval mortality. In this study, we highlight the promising larvicidal effects of local essential oils against A. variegatum. These essential oils can be used as bio-acaricides, which are effective and environmentally-friendly alternatives to chemical products. However, further investigations are required to determine the mechanisms of action of these essential oils for in vivo experimentation and their practical application in the control of A. variegatum ticks.

Evaluation of synergism in essential oils against the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus in Burkina Faso.

The cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus affects animal production economically by reducing weight gain and milk production and causing diseases, such as babesiosis and anaplasmosis. Using synthetic acaricides to reduce their incidence has caused the emergence of resistant tick populations. The present study aimed to assess the in vitro acaricidal activity of combinations of essential oils (EOs) from Ocimum americanum, Ocimum gratissimum, and Lippia multiflora against R. microplus larvae. In fact, numerous biological properties have been reported on EOs from these three plants, including acaricidal properties. Hence, a larval immersion test was performed using a population of R. microplus resistant to synthetic acaricides used in Burkina Faso. Results revealed that EO from O. gratissimum was the most effective on R. microplus larvae with LC50 and LC90 values at 10.36 and 15.51 mg/mL, respectively. For EO combinations, the most significant synergistic effect was obtained by combination 6 (1/3 O. americanum + 2/3 O. gratissimum +1/6 L. multiflora), with a combination index value of 0.44. All combinations presented dose reduction index >1, indicating a favorable dose reduction. According to the literature, this is the first study to determine the combination effect of EOs from the abovementioned plants in controlling R. microplus activity in vitro. Thus, the combination of these EOs is an alternative to control the resistant populations of invasive cattle ticks.

Essential oils of plants and their combinations as an alternative adulticides against Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) populations.

The persistence of malaria and the increasing of resistance of Anopheles gambiae species to chemicals remain major public health concerns in sub-Saharan Africa. Faced to these concerns, the search for alternative vector control strategies as use of essential oils (EOs) need to be implemented. Here, the five EOs from Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon nardus, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Lippia multiflora, Ocimum americanum obtained by hydro distillation were tested according to World Health Organization procedures on An. gambiae "Kisumu" and field strains collected in "Vallée du Kou". Also, the binary combinations of C. nardus (Cn) and O. americanum (Oa) were examined. As results, among the EOs tested, L. multiflora was the most efficient on both An. gambiae strains regarding KDT50 (50% of mosquitoes knock down time) and KDT95 and rate of morality values. Our current study showed that C8 (Cn 80%: Oa 20%) and C9 (Cn 90%: Oa 10%), were the most toxic to An. gambiae strain "Vallée de Kou" (VK) with the mortality rates reaching 80.7 and 100% at 1% concentration, respectively. These two binary combinations shown a synergistic effect on the susceptible population. However, only C9 gave a synergistic effect on VK population. The bioactivity of the two EOs, C. nardus and O. americanum, was improved by the combinations at certain proportions. The resistance ratios of all EOs and of the combinations were low (< 5). The combinations of C. nardus and O. americanum EOs at 90: 10 ratio and to a lesser extent L. multiflora EO, could be used as alternative bio-insecticides against malaria vectors resistant to pyrethroids in vector control programmes.

Alternatives to Pyrethroid Resistance: Combinations of Cymbopogon nardus and Ocimum americanum Essential Oils Improve the Bioefficiency Control Against the Adults' Populations of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Dengue vector control strategies are mostly based on chemicals use against Aedes aegypti populations. The current study aimed at investigating the insecticidal effects of essential oils (EOs) obtained from five plant species, Cymbopogon citrates (D. C.) Stapf. (Poaceae), Cymbopogon nardus (Linn.) Rendle (Poaceae), Eucalyptus camaldulensis Linn. (Myrtaceae), Lippia multiflora Moldenke (Verbenaceae), and Ocimum americanum Linn. Lamiaceae, and combinations of Cymbopogon nardus and Ocimum americanum on Ae. aegypti populations from Bobo-Dioulasso. For this purpose, adults of the susceptible and field strains of Ae. aegypti were tested in WHO tubes with EO alone and binary combinations of O. americanum (OA) and C. nardus (CN; scored from C1 to C9). The extraction of the essential oils was done by hydrodistillation, and their components were determined by GC/MS. Among the 5 EOs tested, L. multiflora essential oil was the most efficient, with KDT50 values below 60 min on all Ae. aegypti strains tested, and also with a rate of mortality up to 100 and 85% for Bora Bora and Bobo-Dioulasso strains, respectively. This efficacy may be due to its major compounds which are with major compounds as ß-caryophyllene, p-cymene, thymol acetate, and 1.8 cineol. Interestingly, on all strains, C8 combination showed a synergistic effect, while C2 showed an additive effect. These combinations exhibit a rate of mortality varying from 80 to 100%. Their toxicity would be due to the major compounds and the putative combined effects of some major and minor compounds. More importanly, L. multiflora EO and combinations of C. nardus and O. americanum EO, may be used as alternatives against pyrethroid resistant of Ae. aegypti.

Antifungal and Antiaflatoxinogenic Effects of Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon nardus, and Cymbopogon schoenanthus Essential Oils Alone and in Combination.

The antifungal and antiaflatoxinogenic activities of the essential oils (EOs) from the leaves of Cymbopogon schoenanthus, Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon nardus, and their pair combinations were investigated. Antifungal susceptibility and the efficacy of paired combinations of EOs were assessed using agar microdilution and checkerboard methods, respectively. Identification and quantification of chemical components of the EOs were carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-MS and GC-FID), respectively. Aflatoxins were separated and identified by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and then quantified by spectrofluorescence. The EO of C. nardus exhibited the highest inhibitory activity against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The combination of C. citratus and C. nardus and that of C. nardus and C. schoenanthus exhibited a synergistic effect against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus, respectively. Both C. citratus and C. schoenanthus EOs totally inhibited the synthesis of aflatoxin B1 at 1 µL/mL. C. citratus blocked the production of aflatoxins B2 and G2 at 0.5 µL/mL. Both C. citratus and C. schoenanthus totally hampered the production of the aflatoxin G1 at 0.75 µL/mL. The combination of C. citratus and C. schoenanthus completely inhibited the production of the four aflatoxins. The study shows that the combinations can be used to improve their antifungal and antiaflatoxinogenic activities.