Contact toxicity and repellent efficacy of Valerianaceae spp. to three stored-product insects and synergistic interactions between two major compounds camphene and bornyl acetate

In this work, the essential oil (EO) and supercritical CO2 fluid extract (SF extract) of four Valerianaceae plants (Valeriana officinalis L., Valeriana officinalis L. var. latifolia Miq., Valeriana jatamansi Jones and Nardostachys chinensis Bat.) were chemically characterized. GC-MS analysis identified 74 compounds, representing 35.2%-82.4% of the total EOs and SF extracts. The EO was dominated by low-molecular-weight components while the SF extract was rich in fatty acids. Bornyl acetate and camphene were the characteristic compounds in EO and SF extracts. The efficacy of six extracts against three stored-product insects was investigated. In contact assays, V. officinalis exhibited strongest toxicity to red flour beetle (LD50 = 10.0 mu g/adult), and V. jatamansi EO was the most active one against the cigarette beetle (LD50 = 17.6 mu g/adult), while V. officinalis var. latifolia EO showed outstanding efficacy against the booklouse (LD50 = 40.2 mu g/cm(2)). Binary mixtures of two major compounds (camphene and bornyl acetate) were assessed for the contact toxicity to the red flour beetle. Additive effect existed in the natural proportion of V. officinalis, and synergism was observed in that of V. officinalis var. latifolia. This work confirmed the insecticidal efficacy of the species of the Valerianaceae family, and it would offer some information for the development of botanical insecticide.