LAUSR

The acaricidal activity of a methanolic extract and fractions from the rhizome of Cnidium officinale against Dermanyssus gallinae adults was investigated. The C. officinale methanolic extract exhibited 100% acaricidal activity after 48 h of treatment at a dose of 4000 ppm. The acaricidal constituents of the plant were sequentially partitioned with several solvents and then purified using silica gel column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed (Z)-ligustilide as a constituent of C. officinale. Acaricidal activity was examined in three experimental tests (spray, fumigation and contact), with the spraying method being the most effective. The methanolic extract of C. officinale showed both contact and fumigant activities, though only fumigant activity was observed with (Z)-ligustilide. The fumigant effects of the methanolic extract and (Z)-ligustilide caused 86.5 and 62.6% mortality, respectively, of D. gallinae adults at 48 h. Among (Z)-ligustilide, acaricides (bifenthrin, cypermethrin and spinosad) and butylidenephthalide, bifenthrin displayed the highest acaricidal activity, and the activity of butylidenephthalide was 2.3-fold higher than that of (Z)-ligustilide. These results suggest that C. officinale-derived material can be used for the development of a control agent for D. gallinae.