Improving natural formulations to combat the Tribellium castaneum insect

Abstract

This research explored the potential of enhancing essential oil formulations as eco￾friendly alternatives to conventional pesticides, addressing the growing need for sustainable pest management. The study investigated the insecticidal properties of essential oils, particularly peppermint oil, in addition to environmentally friendly synthetic compounds. The methodology involved conducting toxicity bioassays on Tribolium castaneum larvae to assess the effectiveness of peppermint oil formulations and the synthetic compounds with adjuvants including xanthan gum, citric acid, and glycerol,. Phytotoxicity tests were also performed on lettuce leaves to evaluate the safety of these formulations for plants. Key findings revealed that peppermint oil (NF1) demonstrated significant insecticidal activity with a 76% mortality rate, which was enhanced to 85.71% by the addition of xanthan gum (NF2). Environmentally friendly synthetic compounds also showed high toxicity to the target pest. Importantly, neither the essential oil formulations nor the synthetic compounds exhibited phytotoxicity to lettuce seedlings. Furthermore, the contact angle measurements for the oil formulations ranged from 22° to 32°, indicating favorable spreading potential on surfaces. This research provides evidence supporting the potential of both enhanced essential oil formulations and environmentally friendly synthetic compounds as effective and safe alternatives to conventional pesticides, offering valuable insights for developing sustainable pest control strategies.The study identified two promising paths for environmentally friendly pest control. First, a peppermint oil formulation enhanced with xanthan gum (NF2) demonstrated superior insecticidal efficacy against Tribolium castaneum larvae, achieving a mortality rate of approximately 85.71%. Second, environmentally friendly synthetic compounds proved highly effective, with mortality rates reaching 100%. The best formulation was the xanthan gum (SF2) enhanced formulation, which demonstrated high efficacy and better dispersal, demonstrating its strong potential as an alternative to conventional insecticides.