Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Activity of Essential Oil Extracted from Anemia tomentosa (SAV.) Sw: Study Conducted in vitro and in silico

The essential oil extracted from Anemia tomentosa (EOAT) has shown larvicidal potential against Aedes aegypti, based on methods in vitro and in silico. Chromatographic and spectrometric techniques (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (CG-MS), gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID)), as well as mono and bidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) were used to assess 10 essential oil components. Chemical composition of essential oil comprised 87.51% sesquiterpenes, with emphasis on presilphiperfolan-1-ol (42.13%) and silphiperfol-5-ene (19.47%). Larvicidal assay conducted in vitro with EOAT has evidenced potential cytotoxic activity up to 48 h exposure to it; mortality rate observed for A. aegypti larvae exposed to essential oil reached 100%. Study conducted in silico with chemical compounds deriving from the herein investigated plant species has evidenced its potential to inhibit acetylcholinesterase in A. aegypti. Activity of triquinane sesquiterpenes ranging from -6.8 to -8.2 kcal mol(-1) stood out in comparison to that of temephos (-7.5 kcal mol(-1)). Chemical compounds identified in the investigated essential oil presented low human and environmental toxicity, as observed in absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, and toxicity (ADMETox) predictions.