ACARICIDAL ACTIVITY OF ALCOHOLIC EXTRACTS FROM MEDICINAL PLANTS AGAINST PSOROPTES CUNICULI MITES

Psoroptes cuniculi is one of the most common causative agents of psoroptic mange in rabbits, resulting in significant economic losses in animal husbandry. Given the increasing resistance of mites to synthetic acaricides and the need to reduce chemical load, the search for effective plant-based preparations represents a promising direction. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the acaricidal activity of alcoholic extracts of medicinal plants against Psoroptes cuniculi under laboratory conditions. Alcoholic extracts of Mentha piperita, Origanum vulgare L., Thymus vulgaris, Ferula foetida, Cinnamomum cassia (L.) D.Don, Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton, and Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. were investigated at concentrations of 200, 500, and 1000 µL/mL. Permethrin (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 µL/mL) was used as a positive control, and a 1% solution of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) served as a negative control. It was established that the acaricidal activity of the investigated extracts varied substantially and depended on the plant species and the concentration of the preparation (p˂0.01). The extract of Eugenia caryophyllata (clove) demonstrated the highest efficacy, achieving mite mortality rates of 40.0, 81.25, and 100.0% at concentrations of 200, 500, and 1000 µL/mL, respectively. The extract of Cinnamomum cassia (Chinese cinnamon) also exhibited high activity, with mortality reaching 70.0% at the maximum concentration. The extract of Curcuma phaeocaulis (curcuma) showed moderate efficacy (46.25%), whereas the extracts of Mentha piperita (peppermint), Origanum vulgare (oregano), Thymus vulgaris (thyme), and Ferula foetida (asafoetida) caused the death of fewer than 20% of mites even at a concentration of 1000 µL/mL. Descriptive analysis revealed that Psoroptes cuniculi mortality ranged from 0 to 100%, with a mean value of 30.33% and a median of 20.0%. The obtained results indicate high acaricidal activity of the alcoholic extracts of Eugenia caryophyllata and Cinnamomum cassia and confirm the prospectivity of their further investigation as a basis for the development of plant-based acaricidal preparations against Psoroptes cuniculi.