Antioxidant effect and acaricidal potential against camel tick, Hyalomma dromedarii of the essential oil hydrodistilled from Myristica fragrans Houtt. (Nutmeg)

Nowadays, ticks are considered to be one dangerous blood-sucking ectoparasite for poultries, livestocks and even some wild animals. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate the insecticidal activity of the essential oil extracted from Myristica fragrans Houtt. with the popular name nutmeg (NEO) against the camel ticks, Hyalomma dromedarii. When the engorged female ticks were immersed in 10 mL of NEO solution of the concentration 800 mg/mL for 5 min, the essential oil could not only decrease the viability and mobility of them, but also decrease their blood digestion. Meanwhile, the acaricide efficacy of NEO against the engorged female ticks was demonstrated as well. When the eggs produced collected, weighed, deposited in the bottles covered by cotton gauze and subjected to the incubator for hatching, the essential oil was demonstrated to have the prominent inhibitory effect against the oviposition, hatchability and fertility of the engorged female ticks, when the engorged female ticks were immersed in 10 mL of NEO solution of the concentration 400 and 800 mg/mL for 5 min. In consequence, the employment of NEO as the potential insecticide against the ticks, H. dromedarii, is prospective in the future.