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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #260122
Title: Chemical composition, antifungal and insecticidal activities of Hedychium essential oils

Author
item Sakhanokho, Hamidou
item Sampson, Blair
item Tabanca, Nurhayat
item Wedge, David
item DEMIRCI, BETUL - Anadolu Universtiy
item HUSNU CAN BASER, KEMAL - Anadolu Universtiy
item Bernier, Ulrich
item Tsikolia, Maia
item Agramonte, Natasha
item Becnel, James
item Rajasekaran, Kanniah - Rajah
item Chen, Jian
item Spiers, James

Submitted to: Molecules
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/29/2013
Publication Date: 4/11/2013
Citation: Sakhanokho, H.F., Sampson, B.J., Tabanca, N., Wedge, D.E., Demirci, B., Husnu Can Baser, K., Bernier, U.R., Tsikolia, M., Agramonte, N.M., Becnel, J.J., Rajasekaran, K., Chen, J., Spiers, J.M. 2013. Chemical composition, antifungal and insecticidal activities of Hedychium essential oils. Molecules. 18:4308-4327.

Interpretive Summary: Essential oils extracted from Hedychium (ornamental ginger) rhizomes are promising new sources of insecticides and insect repellents. A study was conducted to determine the chemical composition of essential oils from several Hedychium species and evaluate the action of these oils against three insects, which were the azalea lace bug, the Yellow Fever mosquito, and the red imported fire ant. There were differences among oils from the different species, but in general most Hedychium oils were effective against the azalea lace bug. In most cases, Hedychium oils were at least as potent as the commercially available insecticide malathion when used against azalea lace bug. The oils also show promise as an adult mosquito repellent, but they were not very effective in killing adult mosquitoes or their larvae. For the red imported fire ant, Hedychium oils acted either as a repellent or an attractant, depending on plant species or variety and oil concentration.

Technical Abstract: The antimicrobial properties of essential oils have been documented, and their use as “biocides” is gaining popularity. The aims of this study were to analyze the chemical composition and assess the biological activities of Hedychium essential oils. Oils from 19 Hedychium species and cultivars were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. The antifungal and insecticidal activities of these oils were tested against Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae, and C. gloeosporioides, and three insects, the azalea lace bug (Stephanitis pyrioides), the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), and the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Hedychium oils were rich in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, especially 1,8-cineole (0.1%–42%), linalool (<0.1%–56%), '-pinene (3%–17%), '-pinene (4%–31%), and (E)-nerolidol (0.1%–20%). Hedychium oils had no antifungal effect on C. gloeosporioides, C. fragariae, and C. acutatum, but most Hedychium oils effectively killed azalea lace bugs. The oils also show promise as an adult mosquito repellent, but they would make rather poor larvicides or adulticides for mosquito control. Hedychium oils acted either as a fire ant repellent or attractant, depending on plant genotype and oil concentration.