Antitermitic and antifungal activities of essential oil of Calocedrus formosana leaf and its composition

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 30; no. 10; pp. 1957 - 1967
• Main Authors: Cheng, S.S, Wu, C.L, Chang, H.T, Kao, Y.T, Chang, S.T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01.10.2004; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Antifungal Agents - chemistry; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; antifungal properties; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Calocedrus formosana; chemical constituents of plants; Coptotermes formosanus; Cupressaceae; Cupressaceae - chemistry; Endemic species; Essential oils; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; General aspects; Insecticides - chemistry; Insecticides - pharmacology; Isoptera; Isoptera - drug effects; Isoptera - physiology; Leaves; Lethal Dose 50; Mortality; pesticidal properties; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plant Oils - chemistry; Plant species; Rhinotermitidae; Termites; Terpenes - pharmacology; Trees; Taiwan; antitermitic activity; T-muurolol; Insecta; Chemical compound; Coptotermes formosanus; autifungal activity; Isoptera; Plant leaf; leaf; Biological activity; Termitidae; GC-MS; Antifungal agent; Arthropoda; Gymnospermae; Calocedrus formosana; α-cadinol; Rhinotermitidae; Coniferales; Spermatophyta; Chemical composition; Essential oil; Invertebrata; Biocide
• ISSN: 0098-0331; 1573-1561
• DOI: 10.1023/b:joec.0000045588.67710.74

Calocedrus formosana Florin (Cupressaceae) is an endemic tree species in Taiwan; its timber is recognized for natural decay resistance. To examine the antitermitic and antifungal activities of leaf essential oil and its main constituents, C. formosana leaves were extracted and the essential oils analyzed by GC-MS. Bioactivity tests against the termite Coptotermes formosanus demonstrate that the LC50 value of leaf essential oil is 27.6 mg/g. Furthermore, exposure to T-muurolol caused 100% mortality at a dosage of 5 mg/g after 14 d. Leaf oil constituents displayed activity against four fungi, Lenzites betulina, Pycnoporus coccineus, Trametes versicolor, and Laetiporus sulphureus. Two compounds, alpha-cadinol and T-muurolol, exhibited the strongest antifungal activity. The LC50 values of alpha-cadinol against L. sulphureus, L. betulina, and T. versicolor are 9.9, 28.6, and 30.4 microg/ml, respectively.