Journal of Chemical Ecology (1996) 22, 49-59

P.D.C. Wimalaratne, K.N. Slessor, J.H. Borden, L.J. Chong and T. Abate (1996)
Isolation and identification of house fly, Musca domestica L., repellents from pepper tree, Schinus molle L.
Journal of Chemical Ecology 22 (1), 49-59
Abstract: Foliage from the pepper tree, Schinus molle L., is traditionally used in Ethiopia to 'repel' house flies, Musca domestica L. The volatile extracts of pepper tree leaves were shown to have repellent and feeding-deterrent activity against house flies in a two-choice laboratory bioassay. High-performance liquid chromatographic fractionation of steam-distilled volatiles from leaves, monitored by laboratory bioassays, demonstrated that bioactivity is associated with two compounds, cis-menth-2-en-1-ol and trans-piperitol. The absolute configuration of the latter was established as (1S,6S)-piperitol by comparison of acetyl lactate derivatives. Racemic compounds were synthesized from piperitone, and bioassays with house flies indicated trans-piperitol to be the most active house fly repellent.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): John H. Borden

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Musca domestica		Ethiopia