THE ACTIVITY OF VOLATILE COMPOUNDS FROM LAVANDULA-ANGUSTIFOLIA AGAINST PSORAPTES-CUNICULI

Previously we demonstrated the acaricidal properties of Lavandula angu stifolia Miller essential oil and of linalool, one of its main compone nts, against Psoroptes cuniculi detected following direct contact of t he substances with the mites. In the present paper we report the acari cidal activity of volatile linalool and of the lavender essential oil without direct contact of the ectoparasites with these substances. Die thyl ether extracts of dead mites showed linalool was the only detecta ble substance using this method by gas chromatography, The study confi rms the acaricidal properties of lavender essential oil and of linaloo l by inhalation, indicating an additional route for possible use of th ese substances both for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.