Composition and Larvicidal Activity of Essential Oil from Stemodia Maritima L

The leaves and stems of Stemodia maritima, collected in the state of Ceara, Brazil, were subjected to hydrodistillation and their essential oils were analyzed by combined GC and GC/MS. The major components found in the leaf oil were β-caryophyllene and 14-hydroxy-9-epi-β-caryophyllene, while in the stem oil β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide were the most abundant constituents. Furthermore, the oils were examined with respect to their larvicidal properties against the larvae of Aedes aegypti and showed LC50 values of 55.4 ± 1.03 and 22.9 ± 0.85 ppm for the leaves and stems, respectively.