Planta Med 2014; 80 - P1L138
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1394795

Nematotoxic activity from essential oils and their hydrocarbons and oxygen-containing molecules fractions against the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

P Barbosa 1, AM Rodrigues 2, JMS Faria 2, LG Pedro 2, JG Barroso 2, AC Figueiredo 2, M Mota 1, 3
  • 1NemaLab-ICAAM & Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Évora, 7002 – 554 Évora, Portugal
  • 2Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências de Lisboa, DBV, IBB, Centro de Biotecnologia Vegetal, C2, Campo Grande, 1749 – 016 Lisboa, Portugal
  • 3INIAV/Unidade Estratégica de Investigação e Serviços de Sistemas Agrários e Florestais e Sanidade Vegetal, Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês 2784 – 159 Oeiras, Portugal

The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is considered one of the most important pine pests and pathogens in the world. The introduction and spread of this nematode has resulted in massive annual losses due to the increased mortality in pine forests and to the superior costs in disease control [1]. Control of this disease depends mostly on synthetic compounds such as abamectin and emamecin. Although their application is effective, adverse effects on the environment and human health also occurs [2]. There is thus a need to search for sustainable alternatives and plant natural products may play an important role in controlling diseases such as pine wilt. Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of secondary metabolites that display several biological activities, being prone to be used in multi-pest pathogen control. EOs isolated from Chenopodium ambrosioides, Corymbia citriodora, Cymbopogon citratus, Origanum majorana, O. virens, O. vulgare, Mentha cervina, Ruta graveolens, Satureja montana (1 and 2), Thymbra capitata (1 and 2) Thymus caespititius and Th. vulgaris and their hydrocarbon (HM) and oxygen-containing molecules (OCM) fractions were screened for the in vitro nematotoxic activity against PWN, according to [3]. EOs and fractions were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Full mortality was achieved with EOs from C. ambrosioides, R. graveolens, S. montana 1, S. montana 2, T. capitata 1, T. capitata 2 and Th. vulgaris at 2.0 mg/mL. For all the remaining OEs, the OCM fractions showed a higher mortality then the respective EOs, and were also more nematotoxic than the HM. Ongoing work is evaluating the nematotoxic activity of the main components of the most effective fractions.

Acknowledgements: Work funded by FEDER Funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors – COMPETE and National Funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology under the Strategic Project PEst-C/AGR/UI0115/2011 and research contract PTDC/AGR-CFL/120184/2010.

Keywords: Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, essential oils, hydrocarbon molecules, oxygen-containing molecules, nematotoxic

References:

[1] Vicente C, et al. (2012) Eur. J. Plant Pathol 133: 89 – 99.

[2] James R, et al. (2006) Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 32(5): 195 – 201.

[3] Barbosa P, et al. (2012) Molecules 17: 12312 – 12329.