Some Toxicological and Physiological Aspects Induced by Camphor oil, Cinnamomum Camphora on the Cotton Leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval). (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

2 Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University

Abstract

The cotton leafworm, (Spodoptera littoralis) is considered as one of the most serious polyphagous pests not only in Egypt but also all over the world, infesting a wide host range. So, it was a vital demand to abolish this destructive pest. the harmful and traditional insecticides are frequently used so it was necessary to search for alternative eco-friendly Bio-pesticides. Natural products, to a large extent, are considered safer and have fewer side-effects. In the present study, the essential camphor oil (cinnamomum camphora) was investigated against 4th instar larvae ofS. littoralis showing considerable toxicity with accumulative larval mortality with LC50 20000 ppm. Moreover, when its biochemical effects were studied on S. littoralis, camphor oil not only caused a significant decrease in the main components: total proteins, total carbohydrates, and total lipids but also caused a significant reduction in the activities of invertase, trehalase, chitinase, and transaminases enzymes. However, camphor oil had no significant effect on amylase activity. Also, GC (gas chromatography) analysis was done for camphor oil. From this study, it was concluded that camphor oil is one of the promising tools for pest management as a lot of its partners from essential oils. 

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