Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants (Amaranthaceae) and Clausena anisata (Willd.) Hook. f. ex Benth. (Rutaceae) are two aromatic species traditionally used in Cameroon to repel and kill insects. The present work was carried out to substantiate this traditional use and to evaluate the possible incorporation in commercial botanical insecticides of their essential oils (EOs). The EOs were distilled from leaves of C. anisata and aerial parts of D. ambrosioides and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The insecticidal activity of both EOs was investigated against the filariasis vector, Culex quinquefasciatus, and the housefly, Musca domestica. As possible mode of action, the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by the two EOs was investigated as well. The D. ambrosioides EO was characterized by the monoterpene peroxide ascaridole (61.4%) and the aromatic p-cymene (29.0%), whereas the C. anisata EO was dominated by the phenylpropanoids (E)-anethole (64.6%) and (E)-methyl isoeugenol (16.1%). The C. anisata EO proved to be very toxic to third instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus showing LC50 of 29.3 μl/l, whereas D. ambrosioides EO was more toxic to adults of M. domestica showing a LD50 of 51.7 μg/adult. The mixture of both EOs showed a significant synergistic effect against mosquito larvae with LC50 estimated as 19.3 μl/l, whereas this phenomenon was not observed upon application to M. domestica adults (LD50 = 75.9 μg/adult). Of the two EOs, the D. ambrosioides one provided a good inhibition of AChE (IC50 = 77 μg/ml), whereas C. anisata oil was not effective. These findings provide new evidences supporting the ethno-botanical use of these two Cameroonian plants, and their possible application even in synergistic binary blends, to develop new eco-friendly, safe and effective herbal insecticides.

• Keywords
• Clausena anisata, Culex quinquefasciatus, Dysphania ambrosioides, Ethno-botanical pesticides, Musca domestica, St. Louis encephalitis,
• MeSH
• Clausena chemistry   MeSH
• Culex drug effects   MeSH
• Insecticides analysis   MeSH
• Mosquito Vectors MeSH
• Larva drug effects   MeSH
• Plant Leaves chemistry   MeSH
• Cyclohexane Monoterpenes MeSH
• Monoterpenes chemistry   MeSH
• Houseflies drug effects   MeSH
• Oils, Volatile chemistry   MeSH
• Peroxides chemistry   MeSH
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Cameroon MeSH
• Names of Substances
• ascaridole MeSH Browser
• Insecticides MeSH
• Cyclohexane Monoterpenes MeSH
• Monoterpenes MeSH
• Oils, Volatile MeSH
• Peroxides MeSH

In the attempt to exploit the potential of the monoecious fiber hemp cv. Futura 75 in new fields besides textile, cosmetics and food industry, its crop-residue given by leaves and inflorescences was subjected to hydrodistillation to obtain the essential oils. These are niche products representing an ideal candidate for the development of natural insecticides for the control and management of mosquito vectors, houseflies and moth pests. After GC-MS analysis highlighting a safe and legal chemical profile (THC in the range 0.004-0.012% dw), the leaf and inflorescence essential oils were investigated for the insecticidal potential against three insect targets: the larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus and Spodoptera littoralis and the adults of Musca domestica. The essential oil from inflorescences, showing (E)-caryophyllene (21.4%), myrcene (11.3%), cannabidiol (CBD, 11.1%), α-pinene (7.8%), terpinolene (7.6%), and α-humulene (7.1%) as the main components, was more effective than leaf oil against these insects, with LD50 values of 65.8 μg/larva on S. littoralis, 122.1 μg/adult on M. domestica, and LC50 of 124.5 μl/l on C. quinquefasciatus larvae. The hemp essential oil moderately inhibited the acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which is a target enzyme in pesticide science. Overall, these results shed light on the future application of fiber hemp crop-residue for the development of effective, eco-friendly and sustainable insecticides.

• Keywords
• Cannabis sativa, Crop residue, Culex quinquefasciatus, Essential oil, Musca domestica, Spodoptera littoralis,
• MeSH
• Acyclic Monoterpenes MeSH
• Alkenes chemistry   MeSH
• Bicyclic Monoterpenes MeSH
• Cannabis chemistry   MeSH
• Culex drug effects   MeSH
• Insecticides chemistry   MeSH
• Larva drug effects   MeSH
• Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes MeSH
• Cyclohexane Monoterpenes MeSH
• Monoterpenes chemistry   MeSH
• Houseflies chemistry   MeSH
• Waste Products MeSH
• Oils, Volatile chemistry   MeSH
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry MeSH
• Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes MeSH
• Sesquiterpenes chemistry   MeSH
• Spodoptera drug effects   MeSH
• Terpenes chemistry   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Acyclic Monoterpenes MeSH
• Alkenes MeSH
• alpha-pinene MeSH Browser
• Bicyclic Monoterpenes MeSH
• caryophyllene MeSH Browser
• humulene MeSH Browser
• Insecticides MeSH
• Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes MeSH
• Cyclohexane Monoterpenes MeSH
• Monoterpenes MeSH
• myrcene MeSH Browser
• Waste Products MeSH
• Oils, Volatile MeSH
• Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes MeSH
• Sesquiterpenes MeSH
• Terpenes MeSH
• terpinolene MeSH Browser

The rapid spread of highly aggressive arboviruses, parasites, and bacteria along with the development of resistance in the pathogens and parasites, as well as in their arthropod vectors, represents a huge challenge in modern parasitology and tropical medicine. Eco-friendly vector control programs are crucial to fight, besides malaria, the spread of dengue, West Nile, chikungunya, and Zika virus, as well as other arboviruses such as St. Louis encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis. However, research efforts on the control of mosquito vectors are experiencing a serious lack of eco-friendly and highly effective pesticides, as well as the limited success of most biocontrol tools currently applied. Most importantly, a cooperative interface between the two disciplines is still lacking. To face this challenge, we have reviewed a wide number of promising results in the field of green-fabricated pesticides tested against mosquito vectors, outlining several examples of synergy with classic biological control tools. The non-target effects of green-fabricated nanopesticides, including acute toxicity, genotoxicity, and impact on behavioral traits of mosquito predators, have been critically discussed. In the final section, we have identified several key challenges at the interface between "green" nanotechnology and classic biological control, which deserve further research attention.

• Keywords
• Arbovirus, Biosafety, Dengue, Genotoxicity, Japanese encephalitis, Malaria, Nanosynthesis, West Nile virus, Zika virus,
• MeSH
• Dengue MeSH
• Insect Vectors drug effects   MeSH
• Zika Virus Infection microbiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Malaria MeSH
• Mosquito Control * methods   MeSH
• One Health MeSH
• Zika Virus MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

There is an increasing need for the discovery of reliable and eco-friendly pesticides and natural plant-derived products may play a crucial role as source of new active compounds. In this research, a lipophilic extract of Onosma visianii roots extract containing 12% of shikonin derivatives demonstrated significant toxicity and inhibition of oviposition against Tetranychus urticae mites. Extensive chromatographic separation allowed the isolation of 11 naphthoquinone derivatives that were identified by spectral techniques and were tested against Tetranychus urticae. All the isolated compounds presented effects against the considered mite and isobutylshikonin (1) and isovalerylshikonin (2) were the most active, being valuable model compounds for the study of new anti-mite agents.

• Keywords
• Onosma visianii, Tetranychus urticae, biopesticide, eco-friendly insecticide, shikonin derivatives,
• MeSH
• Acaricides chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Boraginaceae chemistry   MeSH
• Plant Roots chemistry   MeSH
• Naphthoquinones chemistry   MeSH
• Plant Extracts chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Tetranychidae drug effects   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Acaricides MeSH
• Naphthoquinones MeSH
• Plant Extracts MeSH
• shikonin MeSH Browser

In Cameroon, many dietary spices are used by traditional healers to cure several diseases such as cancer and microbial infections. Aframomum daniellii, Dichrostachys cinerea and Echinops giganteus are Cameroonian spices widely used as flavourings and as food additives. Moreover, they are traditionally herbal remedies employed to treat several diseases, as well as to control populations of insect pests. In this research, we analysed the chemical composition of A. daniellii, D. cinerea and E. giganteus essential oils and we evaluated their larvicidal potential against larvae of the filariasis and West Nile virus vector Culex quinquefasciatus. The essential oils were obtained from different plant parts by hydrodistillation and their composition was analysed by GC-MS. The three spices exhibited different volatile chemical profiles, being characterized by 1,8-cineole, sabinene and β-pinene (A. daniellii), geraniol and terpinen-4-ol (D. cinerea), and silphiperfol-6-ene and presilphiperfolan-8-ol (E. giganteus). Results showed that the highest larvicidal toxicity on Cx. quinquefasciatus was exerted by D. cinerea essential oil (LC50 = 39.1 μL L-1), followed by A. daniellii (pericarp essential oil: LC50 = 65.5 μL L-1; leaves: LC50 = 65.5μL L-1; seeds: LC50 = 106.5μL L-1) and E. giganteus (LC50 = 227.4 μL L-1). Overall, the chance to use the D. cinerea essential oil against Cx. quinquefasciatus young instars seems promising, since it is effective at moderate doses and could be an advantageous alternative to build newer mosquito control tools.

• Keywords
• Aframomum daniellii, Culex quinquefasciatus, Dichrostachys cinerea, Echinops giganteus, Essential oil, Rift Valley fever, West Nile virus,
• MeSH
• Anopheles drug effects   growth & development   MeSH
• Culex drug effects   growth & development   MeSH
• Filariasis transmission   MeSH
• Insect Vectors drug effects   growth & development   MeSH
• Insecticides chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Spices analysis   MeSH
• Larva drug effects   growth & development   MeSH
• Plant Leaves chemistry   MeSH
• Mosquito Control methods   MeSH
• Oils, Volatile chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Plant Extracts pharmacology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Cameroon MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Insecticides MeSH
• Oils, Volatile MeSH
• Plant Extracts MeSH