Nematicidal activity of some essential plant oils from tropical West Africa

Eloh, Kodjo

First

;Kpegba, Kafui;Sasanelli, Nicola;Koumaglo, Honoré Kossi;Caboni, Pierluigi

Last

2020-01-01

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Abstract

Plant parasitic nematodes are among the most destructive plant pathogens worldwide and their control is very challenging. Plant essential oils (EOs) have showed a great potential in nematode control. In this work, EOs from 10 aromatic plants acclimatized in Togo were assessed in vitro for their nematicidal activity on the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. EOs were subsequently analyzed by GC-MS and compounds were tested individually on nematodes. The most potent EOs were: Ocimum sanctum L., Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng and Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume with EC 50/72h values of 282 ± 53, 288 ± 30 and 355 ± 126 mg/L, respectively. The EC 50/48h values of tested compounds were 81 ± 14, 117 ± 33, 128 ± 42, 141 ± 47, 168 ± 40, 216 ± 86 and 235 ± 43 mg/L for cinnamyl acetate, methyl eugenol, cinnamyl alcohol, acetyl eugenol, isoeugenol, eugenol and benzyl benzoate, respectively. Furthermore, we found a synergistic nematicidal activity when we combined phenylpropanoids compounds with carvone. EOs and their constituents described herein merit further studies, especially in pot experiments before serving as nematicides.