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. 2013:20:21.
doi: 10.1051/parasite/2013021. Epub 2013 Jun 13.

The repellency of lemongrass oil against stable flies, tested using video tracking

Frédéric Baldacchino  1 , Coline Tramut, Ali Salem, Emmanuel Liénard, Emilie Delétré, Michel Franc, Thibaud Martin, Gérard Duvallet, Pierre Jay-Robert
Affiliations

The repellency of lemongrass oil against stable flies, tested using video tracking

Frédéric Baldacchino et al. Parasite. 2013.

Abstract
in English, French

Lemongrass oil (Cymbopogon citratus) is an effective repellent against mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and house flies (Diptera: Muscidae). In this study, its effectiveness was assessed on stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae) in laboratory conditions. First, we demonstrated that lemongrass oil is an active substance for antennal olfactory receptor cells of Stomoxys calcitrans as indicated by a significant increase in the electroantennogram responses to increasing doses of lemongrass oil. Feeding-choice tests in a flight cage with stable flies having access to two blood-soaked sanitary pads, one of which was treated with lemongrass oil, showed that stable flies (n = 24) spent significantly more time in the untreated zone (median value = 218.4 s) than in the treated zone (median value = 63.7 s). No stable flies fed on the treated pad, whereas nine fed on the untreated pad. These results suggest that lemongrass oil could be used as an effective repellent against stable flies. Additional studies to confirm its spatial repellent and feeding deterrent effects are warranted.

L’huile essentielle de Cymbopogon citratus est un répulsif actif contre les moustiques (Diptera : Culicidae) et les mouches domestiques (Diptera : Muscidae). Dans cette étude, nous avons testé son efficacité contre les stomoxes (Diptera : Muscidae) en laboratoire. Nous avons tout d’abord démontré par électroantennographie (EAG) que l’huile essentielle de C. citratus était une substance active sur les récepteurs olfactifs des antennes de Stomoxys calcitrans, par la mise en évidence d’une augmentation significative des réponses EAG à des doses croissantes d’huile essentielle. Des tests de choix réalisés en cage de vol avec des stomoxes ayant à disposition deux supports imprégnés de sang, l’un ayant été traité avec de l’huile essentielle, montrent que les stomoxes (n = 24) ont passé significativement plus de temps dans la zone non traitée (valeur médiane = 218,4 s) que dans la zone traitée (valeur médiane = 63,7 s). Aucun stomoxe ne s’est nourri sur le support traité alors que neuf stomoxes se sont nourris sur le support non traité. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’huile essentielle de C. citratus pourrait être utilisée comme répulsif contre les stomoxes. Des études complémentaires sont nécessaires pour confirmer ses effets répulsifs et anti-gorgement.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Aerial view of the system for spatial repellency bioassays. The screen cage was made of mosquito netting suspended on a metal frame and surrounded by white foam board with blue and black fabric on each side. Two blood-soaked sanitary pads were set under the cage: one, impregnated with lemongrass oil, was placed in the treated zone, and the other, impregnated with hexane, was placed in the untreated zone. For further details see Materials and Methods section.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Track showing the 10-min recording of a stable fly in the bioassay cage divided into three zones: the untreated zone, the intermediate zone, and the treated zone.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Mean relative EAG amplitudes recorded from Stomoxys calcitrans antennae (n = 7) stimulated with lemongrass essential oil at doses of 0.001 mg, 0.01 mg, 0.1 mg, and 1 mg. Hexane was used as negative control. EAG amplitudes are relative to the value of 100% for octenol at 1 mg in the stimulus syringe. Differences in EAG amplitudes were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Significant differences are indicated by different letters (p ≤ 0.05).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Time-course (mean ± SE) of the distance moved by stable fly males and females for 10 min following release into a bioassay cage. Curves represent the distance moved for each successive 1-min period during 10-min recordings.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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