Authors : A. Goudoum, L.S. Ngamo Tinkeu, M.B. Ngassoum and C.M. Mbofung
Abstract: Essential oils of some aromatic plants are suggested in Northern Cameroon as alternatives to hazardous pesticides having harmful effects on the consumer and the environment. The active compounds of these essential oils are very volatile, easily biodegradable. To be effective, treatments should be made with short interval and regular time. This mode of use generates the accumulation of constituents of these essential oils on the treated food and could limit food security and safety. The present study aimed at evaluating the variation of the constituent’s quality of Clausena anisata and Plectranthus glandulosus essential oils and their levels on food products according to time. In this way, samples of corn grains and flour were treated with these essential oils and stored during 150 days. During this storage, the persistent compounds present in these samples were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/FID. The obtained results show that essential oils concentration decreases on food products according to the duration of storage with half-life times (IT50) of 24.16 and 34.61 days for C. anisata and 25 and 38.75 days for P. glandulosus, respectively on grains and flour. At 150 days after the treatment, there is no more that 6 constituents of C. anaisata and 3 of P. glandulosus on the grains and 10 and 7 constituents on the flour, respectively for these two essential oils. The rates of these persistent constituents are >62.5 times lower than the toxic concentration observed from the day of treatment. At these used doses, these constituents are not toxic to consumers.
A. Goudoum, L.S. Ngamo Tinkeu, M.B. Ngassoum and C.M. Mbofung, 2012. Biodegradation of Insecticidal Compounds of Clausena anisata and Plectranthus glandulosus Essential Oils Applied as Protectant on Stored Grains. Agricultural Journal, 7: 165-171.