Essential oil composition and insecticidal activity of Blumea perrottetiana growing in southwestern Nigeria.

The essential oil from the aerial parts of Blumea perrottetiana was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. The volatile oil is dominated by 2,5-dimethoxy-p-cymene (30.0%) and 1,8-cineole (11.0%) with lesser amounts of sabinene (8.1%), delta-cadinene (5.3%) and (E)-caryophyllene (3.9%). The essential oil demonstrated notable insecticidal activity against the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, consistent with traditional uses of the plant as an insecticide and anthelmintic.