Medicinal and aromatic plants represent an outstanding source of green active ingredients for a broad range of real-world applications. In the present study, we investigated the insecticidal potential of the essential oils obtained from three medicinal and aromatic plants of economic importance in Algeria, Artemisia campestris, Pulicaria arabica, and Saccocalyx satureioides. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to study the essential oil chemical compositions. The three essential oils were tested against a mosquito vectoring filariasis and arboviruses, i.e., Culex quinquefasciatus, a fly pest acting also as pathogens vector, Musca domestica, and an agricultural moth pest, i.e., Spodoptera littoralis, using WHO and topical application methods, respectively. The essential oil from A. campestris, containing β-pinene (15.2%), α-pinene (11.2%), myrcene (10.3%), germacrene D (9.0%) (Z)-β-ocimene (8.1%) and γ-curcumene (6.4%), showed remarkable toxicity against C. quinquefasciatus (LC50 of 45.8 mg L-1) and moderate effects (LD50 of 99.8 μg adult-1) against M. domestica. Those from P. arabica and S. satureioides, containing epi-α-cadinol (23.9%), δ-cadinene (21.1%), α-cadinol (19.8%) and germacrene D-4-ol (8.4%), and thymol (25.6%), α-terpineol (24.6%), borneol (17.4%) and p-cymene (11.4%), respectively, were more active on S. littoralis showing LD50 values of 68.9 and 61.2 μg larva-1, respectively. Based on our results, the essential oil from A. campestris may be further considered a candidate ingredient for developing botanical larvicides.

Crop Research Institute Drnovska 507 Prague 6 161 06 Ruzyne Czech Republic

Department of Agriculture Food and Environment University of Pisa via del Borghetto 80 56124 Pisa Italy

Department of Biological Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies University of Palermo viale delle Scienze Parco d'Orleans 2 1 90128 Palermo Italy

Department of Excellence in Robotics and A 1 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies 56127 Pisa Italy

Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry Faculty of Sciences M'sila University 28000 M'sila Algeria

Department of Nature and Life Sciences Faculty of Sciences M'sila University 28000 M'sila Algeria

School of Pharmacy University of Camerino via Sant'Agostino 1 62032 Camerino Italy

The BioRobotics Institute Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34 56025 Pontedera Pisa Italy

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