Abstract
Tick and mosquito repellent essential oil extracted from Lindera melissifolia, a representative of the USDA’s endangered plant species located in Southeastern United States. [Display omitted]
► Utilization of products from endangered or threatened plants can support their conservation. ► The essential oil of Lindera melissifolia repelled ticks in a dose dependent manner. ► Fractional freezing enabled the enrichment of tick repellent components in the essential oil. ► NMR and MS analysis of repellent fractions identified four potentially new tick repellent leads.
The number of endangered plant species in the U.S. is significant, yet studies aimed towards utilizing these plants are limited. Ticks and mosquitoes are vectors of significant pathogenic diseases of humans. Repellents are critical means of personal protection against biting arthropods and disease transmission. The essential oil and solvent extracts from Lindera melissifolia (Walt.) Blume (Lauraceae) (pondberry) drupes were gathered and analyzed by GC and GC–MS. The essential oil obtained from this endangered plant showed a significant dose dependent repellency of ticks and a moderate mosquito repellent effect while the subsequent hexanes extract was completely ineffective. Fractional freezing enriched the tick repellent components of the essential oil. Several known tick repellent components were recognized by the GC–MS comparison of the resulting fractions and β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, germacrene D and β-elemene warrant evaluations for tick repellency. Identifying pondberry as a potential renewable source for a broad spectrum repellent supports efforts to conserve similar U.S. endangered or threatened plant species.