Molluscicidal and Mosquitocidal Activities of the Essential Oil ofMentha suaveolensEhrh. Cultivated in Egypt

:The percentage yield of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the air-dried powdered aerial parts of Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. cultivated in Egypt was 1.13 %. Nineteen components were identified by GC-MS analysis of the oil which constitute to 97.95 % of its total composition. The overall chromatographic profile of the essential oil appeared to be dominated by the oxygenated constituents (74.15 %) among which carvone was the major constituent (58.36 %) while the amount of identified hydrocarbons was 23.80 % among which limonene was the major constituent (10.10 %). The molluscicidal activity of the essential oil on adult and embryonic stages of Biomphalaria alexandrina was evaluated. The essential oil gave LD and 100 at 50 and 100 ppm/6hrs, respectively for adult snails. The essential oil also, showed 100 % ovicidal activity at 100 ppm/24hrs. The mosquitocidal activity of the essential oil on both larvae and pupae stages of Culex pipiens was also studied. The oil showed both larvicidal and pupicidal activity at the same concentrations (LD and LD at 50 and 100 ppm/3hrs, respectively).