Purpose: To investigate the chemical composition and nematicidal activity of the essential oil of
Valeriana amurensis
roots against cereal cyst nematodes (
Heterodera avenae
).
Methods: The essential oil of
V. amurensis roots was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas
chromatography (GC) and gas chromaotography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The nematicidal activity
of the essential oil and its major constituents was determined against second stage juveniles of
H.
avenae.
Results: A total of 33 components of the essential oil were identified. The major constituents were
bornyl acetate (12.5 %), patchoulol (11.6 %), caryophyllene (8.2 %), 3-methylvaleric acid (7.3 %) and
isovaleric acid (6.5 %). The essential oil exhibited nematicidal activity against
H. avenae with a medium
lethal concentration (LC
50) value of 311.6 μg/mL. The major constituents, isovaleric acid and 3-
methylvaleric acid, exhibited nematicidal activity against
H. avenae with LC
50 of 218.2 and 683.8 μg/mL,
respectively.
Conclusion: The study indicates that the essential oil of
V. amurensis roots and its two major
constituents, isovaleric acid and 3-methylvaleric acid, have a potential to be developed to natural
nematicides for the control of cereal cyst nematodes.
