Acaricidal activity of Satureja thymbra L. essential oil and its major components, carvacrol and gamma-terpinene against adult Hyalomma marginatum (Acari: Ixodidae)

WOS: 000279064500016PubMed ID: 20303667The acaricidal activity of a volatile essential oil hydrodistillate of Satureja thymbra L (Lamiaceae) and its major constituents, carvacrol and gamma-terpinene, were evaluated against field-collected unfed adult Hyalomma marginatum. The distillate was tested against this tick species at 5, 10, 20, and 40 mu L/L while the two major components were each tested at 10 mu L/L. Generally, tick mortality to the S. thymbra distillate increased with concentration and exposure time. Ticks exposed to vapors from cotton wicks containing at least 40 mu L/L resulted in complete (100%) mortality at 3 h. The lower concentrations provided >= 90% mortality at 3 h post treatment with complete mortality at 24 h. Knockdown was observed only in the carvacrol and gamma-terpinene treatments. Ticks exposed to carvacrol-treated wicks produced >93% knockdown at 3 h but at 24 h approximately 57% were dead. The gamma-terpinene treatment produced >= 90% knockdown at 105 min through 3 h but at 24 h only about 87% of the ticks were dead. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Scientific Projects Administration Unit of Akdeniz University (Antalya, Turkey)Akdeniz UniversityThe authors are grateful to the Scientific Projects Administration Unit of Akdeniz University (Antalya, Turkey) for financial support