The Use of Essential Oil-based Pharmaceutical Products to Control Cattle Ticks

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of six essential oils obtained from sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf.), litsea (Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers.), clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) and curcumin (Curcuma longa Linn.) against cattle ticks. Two essential oils demonstrated the greatest significant efficiency and were chosen for further testing on the cattle skin. The results showed that the 8% lemongrass essential oil had the most significant inhibiting effect on the oviposition of engorged female cattle ticks, whereas ginger oil, curcumin oil, sour orange, litsea oil and clove oil, showed lesser effect respectively (p<0.05). There was a significant inverse relationship between lemongrass essential oil concentration and the tick’s oviposition index. It was observed that the higher the essential oil concentration (16%), the higher the mortality rate of the larva-stage ticks. Nevertheless, the 4, 8 and 16% of lemongrass essential oil concentrations were also effective against adult ticks, causing a 100% mortality rate. Lemongrass oil can reduce tick number from day 1 after spraying on cattle skin and the tick number was under control for at least 14 days, which is significantly different, comparing to the control group.