Insecticidal activity of the essential oil of <i>Perovskia artemisioides</i> Boiss
Zahra Sadeghi, Zahra Alizadeh, Fereshteh Khorrami, Samira Norouzi, Mahdi Moridi Farimani
Abstract
This work reports the phytochemical profile and insecticidal properties of Perovskia artemisioides Boiss essential oil (PAEO) collected in Baluchestan, Iran. Totally, twenty-six substances were identified with 1,8-cineole (25.81%), geranyl acetate (13.00%) and linalool (10.21%) as dominant chemical metabolites by GC-MS analysis. PAEO possessed fumigant toxicity against various growth stages of Phthorimaea operculella. P. operculella adults showed considerable sensitivity (LC50 = 0.58 µL/L air) in comparison to eggs (LC50 = 5.87 µL/L air) and neonate larvae (LC50 = 1.23 µL/L air). Finally, molecular docking of major components of PAEO was performed against detoxification enzymes, including cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferase activities. Humulene, β-caryophyllene, and α-cadinol exhibited the most interactions with the P450 and GST. It can be concluded that PAEO has the potential for development into natural insecticides for the control of storage pests.