Cupressus sempervirens Essential Oil, Nanoemulsion, and Major Terpenes as Sustainable Green Pesticides against the Rice Weevil

Abdulrhman A. Almadiy, Gomah E. Nenaah (), Bader Z. Albogami, Dalia M. Shawer and Saeed Alasmari
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Abdulrhman A. Almadiy: Biology Department, College of Science and Arts, Najran University, Najran 1988, Saudi Arabia
Gomah E. Nenaah: Biology Department, College of Science and Arts, Najran University, Najran 1988, Saudi Arabia
Bader Z. Albogami: Biology Department, College of Science and Arts, Najran University, Najran 1988, Saudi Arabia
Dalia M. Shawer: Economic Entomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt
Saeed Alasmari: Biology Department, College of Science and Arts, Najran University, Najran 1988, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: In order to find effective, biorational, and eco-friendly pest control tools, Cupressus sempervirens var . horizontalis essential oil (EO) was produced using hydrodistillation, before being analyzed with gas chromatography, specifically, using flame ionization detection. The monoterpene components α -pinene (46.3%), δ -3-carene (22.7%), and α -cedrol, a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, (5.8%), were the main fractions. An oil-in-water nanoemulsion was obtained following a green protocol. The EO, its nanoemulsion, and its terpenes each exhibited both insecticidal and insect repellent activities against the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae . In a contact bioassay, the nanoemulsion induced a 100% adult mortality rate in a concentration of 10.0 µL/cm 2 after 4 days of treatment, whereas 40 µL/cm 2 of EO and α -cedrol was required to kill 100% of weevils. Using fumigation, nanoemulsion and EO at 10 µL/L air caused a 100% adult mortality rate after 4 days of treatment. The LC 50 values of botanicals ranged between 5.8 and 53.4 µL/cm 2 for contact, and between 4.1 and 19.6 µL/L for fumigation. The phytochemicals strongly repelled the weevil at concentrations between 0.11 and 0.88 µL/cm 2 , as well as considerably inhibiting AChE bioactivity. They were found to be safe for earthworms ( Eisenia fetida ) at 200 mg/kg, which also caused no significant alteration in wheat grain viability. This study provides evidence for the potential of using the EO of C. sempervirens and its nanoemulsion as natural, eco-friendly grain protectants against S. oryzae .

Keywords: cypress oil; nanoemulsion; terpenes; Sitophilus oryzae; bioactivity; biosafety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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