Insecticidal and repellent effects of the essential oils obtained from Argentine aromatic flora

Abstract

Global population is expected to increase to 9x109 individuals by 2050, which highlights the need to produce more food in a more sustainable way. The demand for alternatives to synthetic insecticides is reflected in the increasing amount of research dealing with essential oils as insecticidal and repellent compounds. Argentina has large regions of tropical, temperate, and cold climates, where many essential oil-producing plants grow and develop. In this context, the aim of the present study was to revise the most relevant literature about the insecticidal and repellent properties of essential oils from Argentine aromatic flora. The first section of the present review covers those essential oils used to control insects that are important to affect human and animal health, such as mosquitoes, flies, bed bugs, and vinchucas. The second part addresses essential oils that could be used as insecticides and repellents in horticulture and agriculture such as oilseed, such as moths, bugs, fruit flies, different phloem-sap-feeding insect species that attack vegetable and fruit crops, and weevils and beetles that affect stored grains and food commodities. Throughout this review, the toxicity of the most bioactive essential oils is discussed by considering their chemical profile and their major pure compounds molecular features. This literature review highlights the enormous potential of Argentine essential oils to be included in repellent and insecticidal formulations.