Bioactivity of Ethanolic Leaf Extracts of Acacia nilotica and Eucalyptus camaldulensis, against Coptotermes heimi

Abstract

Termite infestation poses a significant threat to structural integrity and agricultural productivity worldwide. This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of ethanolic extracts of Acacia nilotica and Eucalyptus camaldulensis against Coptotermes heimi, focusing on mortality and repellency. The ethanoloic leaf extract of E. camaldulensis showed mortality of 79.33% at 30% concentration while A. nilotica at 30% of concentration revealed a mortality of 74.66%.  The LC₅₀ value of E. camaldulensis was 7.70% while that of A. nilotica was 13.03%. Both plants were found repellent against C. heimi, but A. nilotica was non-repellent at 10% concentration. Additionally, an analysis of Gas-Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) was performed to identify and quantify the chemical constituents present in the plant extracts. The GC/MS analysis of E. camaldulensis revealed an important compound Eucalyptol, which has the highest percentage composition of 57.81 % while GC/MS of A. nilotica contains a high concentration of γ-Sitosterol along with Vitamin E and Behenic-alcohol. This study underscores the potential of A. nilotica and E. camaldulensis leaf extracts as ecofriendly alternatives for termite control.