Abstract
In this study antitermitic activities of essential oils from different tissues of Chinese cedar (Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk) against Reticulitermes chinensis were investigated. In addition, the yields of essential oils obtained by water distillation were compared and their constituents determined by GC-MS analyses. The yields of bark, sapwood, heartwood, and leaf essential oils of Chinese cedar were 0.9, 0.4, 1.0, and 1.5%, respectively. GC-MS analyses showed that the major compounds of bark, sapwood, heartwood, and leaf essential oils of Chinese cedar were ferruginol (30.6%), γ-cadinene (18.3%), γ-cadinene (31.0%), and kaurene (30.6%), respectively. Bioactivity tests against R. chinensis demonstrated that the leaf and heartwood essential oils had an excellent effect, and the LC50 values after 5 days were 0.9 and 1.8 μL/mL (LC90=1.4 and 2.9 μL/mL), respectively. The results of this study showed that the leaf and heartwood essential oils of Chinese cedar might be considered as a potential source of a fine natural termiticide.