Acaricidal and antibacterial toxicities of Valeriana officinalis oils obtained by steam distillation extraction

Abstract

The chemical compositions of the essential oil of Valeriana officinalis roots obtained by steam distillation method were analyzed by GC-MS. The 16 constituents were identified in the V. officinalis oil, and the most abundant compounds were patchouli alcohol (18.69%) and Β-gurjunene (15.26%). Acaricidal effects of the V. officinalis oil were evaluated against Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Haemaphysalis longicornis larva and H. longicornis nymph by contact bioassay. The LD50 values against T. putrescentiae, H. longicornis larva and H. longicornis nymph were 28.01, 178.26 and 207.98 µg/cm 2 , respectively. Agar disc diffusion bioassay showed the antibacterial activity of the V. officinalis oil against foodborne pathogens, especially L. monocytogenes. These results showed that the essential oil of V. officinalis roots derived from USA has a potential for development as acaricide and antimicrobial.