A thorough exploration of the chemical profile (GC-MS and HS-GC-MS) and insecticidal activity of essential oils from Thymus vulgaris, Origanum vulgare, and Satureja boissieri against Phthorimaea operculella
Journal of Essential Oil-Bearing Plants, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/0972060x.2026.2717597
- Dergi Adı: Journal of Essential Oil-Bearing Plants
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Chemical composition, Contact toxicity, Essential oils, GC-MS analysis, HS-GC/MS, Insecticidal activity, Phthorimaea operculella
- Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The chemical composition and insecticidal potential of the essential oils (EOs) of Origanum vulgare L., Satureja boissieri Hausskn. ex Boiss., and Thymus vulgaris L. against the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella, were investigated. In this study, EO compositions were comparatively analyzed for the first time using two complementary GC-MS techniques (HS-GC/MS and liquid injection). The analyses revealed substantial differences among plant species and analytical methods. In O. vulgare, carvacrol was the dominant compound, 57.06% and 82.06% in HS-GC/MS and liquid injection GC-MS, respectively, accompanied by p-cymene and γ-terpinene. In S. boissieri, p-cymene (41.88%) and γ-terpinene (30.12%) were the principal constituents. In T. vulgaris, the headspace profile was dominated by γ-terpinene (53.37%), whereas thymol (46.57%) was predominant in liquid injection analyses. The insecticidal activity of the EOs was evaluated through contact toxicity assays against fourth-instar P. operculella larvae. At a concentration of 10%, mortality ranged from 25.8-35.8% after 24 h and 30.8-50.8% after 48 h, whereas increasing the concentration to 15% resulted in markedly higher mortality rates of 56.7-65.1% at 24 h and 70.2-71.9% at 48 h. The EOs from all three species exhibited high insecticidal activity at a concentration of 15%. Overall, mortality increased significantly with increasing concentration and exposure time (p < 0.05), whereas no statistically significant differences were detected among the tested essential oils within the same concentration level. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, the insecticidal activities of these species, particularly S. boissieri, against P. operculella were comparatively evaluated for the first time. These findings highlight the importance of analytical methodology in EO profiling and suggest the potential of these species as plant-derived bioinsecticides.