Original Research
Repellent activities of dichloromethane extract of Allium sativum (garlic) (Liliaceae) against Hyalomma rufipes (Acari)
Submitted: 23 November 2015 | Published: 02 December 2016
About the author(s)
Felix Nchu, Department of Horticultural Science, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South AfricaSolomon R. Magano, Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, South Africa
Jacobus N. Eloff, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
Abstract
Dichloromethane (DCM) extract of garlic (Allium sativum Linn.) bulbs was assessed for its repellent effect against the hard tick, Hyalomma rufipes (Acari: Ixodidae) using two tick behavioural bioassays; Type A and Type B repellency bioassays, under laboratory conditions. These bioassays exploit the questing behaviour of H. rufipes, a tick that in nature displays ambush strategy, seeking its host by climbing up on vegetation and attaching to a passing host. One hundred microlitres (100 µL) of the test solution containing DCM extract of garlic bulbs and DCM at concentrations of 0.35%, 0.7% or 1.4% w/v were evaluated. DCM only was used for control. Tick repellency increased significantly (R2 = 0.98) with increasing concentration (40.03% – 86.96%) yielding an EC50 of 0.45% w/v in Type B repellency bioassay. At concentration of 1.4% w/v, the DCM extract of garlic bulbs produced high repellency index of 87% (male ticks) and 87.5% (female ticks) in the Type A repellency bioassay. Only 4% avoidance of male ticks or female ticks was recorded in the Type B repellency bioassay. In the corresponding controls, the mean numbers of non-repelled male or female ticks were 80% and 41 males or 38 females of 50 ticks in the Type A and Type B repellency bioassays, respectively. The variations in the results could be attributed to the difference in tick repellent behaviours that were assessed by the two repellency bioassays; the Type A repellency bioassay assessed repellent effect of garlic extracts without discriminating between deterrence and avoidance whereas the Type B repellency bioassay only assessed avoidance response. Generally, DCM extract of garlic was repellent against H. rufipes, albeit weak tick repellency was obtained in the Type B repellency bioassay. Furthermore, this study established that the tick repellent activity of garlic extracts is predominantly by deterrence.
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Crossref Citations
1. In vitro bioassays used in evaluating plant extracts for tick repellent and acaricidal properties: A critical review
Olubukola Tolulope Adenubi, Lyndy Joy McGaw, Jacobus Nicolaas Eloff, Vinny Naidoo
Veterinary Parasitology vol: 254 first page: 160 year: 2018
doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.03.008