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Background The excessive use of synthetic insecticides is responsible for many cases of resistance in insects. Therefore, the use of natural molecules of ecological interest with insecticidal properties is an alternative approach to the use of synthetic insecticides. The aim of this study is to investigating the larvicidal and adulticidal activity and the chemical composition of the essential oil of Aeollanthus pubescens on the major malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. Methods Three reference strains of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (Kisumu, Kiskdr and Acerkis) were used in this study. The leaves of A. pubescens were collected in southern Benin. The standard World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for larvicide evaluation were used, and the chemical composition of the essential oil was analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Adult mosquitoes of each strain were exposed to pieces of net coated with the essential oil for 3 min using the WHO cone bioassay method. Probit regression analysis was used to determine the concentrations that would kill 50 and 95% of each test population (LC50, LC95) and the knockdown time for 50 and 95% of each test population (KDT50, and KDT95). The difference between the mortality–dose regressions for the different strains was analysed using the likelihood ratio test (LRT). The log-rank test was performed to evaluate the difference in survival between the strains. Results A total of 14 components were identified, accounting for 98.3% of total oil content. The major components were carvacrol (51.1%), thymyle acetate (14.0%) and ɣ-terpinene (10.6%). The essential oil showed larvicidal properties on the Kisumu, Acerkis and Kiskdr strains, with LC50 of 29.6, 22.9 and 28.4 ppm, respectively. With pieces of netting treated at 165 µg/cm2, the KDT50 of both Acerkis (1.71 s; Z = 3.34, P Z = 3.49, P χ2 = 99, df = 1, P χ2 = 117, df = 1, P χ2 = 96.9, df = 1, P Conclusion Our findings show that A. pubescens essential oil has larvicide and adulticide properties against the malaria vector An. gambiae sensu stricto, suggesting that this essential oil may be a potential candidate for the control of the resistant malaria-transmitting vectors. Graphical Abstract

International audience; The essential oil from the leaves of Peperomia borbonensis from Reunion Island was obtained by hydrodistillation and characterized using GC-FID, GC/MS and NMR. The main components were myristicin (39.5%) and elemicin (26.6%). The essential oil (EO) of Peperomia borbonensis and its major compounds (myristicin and elemicin), pure or in a mixture, were evaluated for their insecticidal activity against Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) using a filter paper impregnatedbioassay. The concentrations necessary to kill 50% (LC50) and 90% (LC90) of the flies in three hours were determined. The LC50 value was 0.23 0.009 mg/cm2 and the LC90 value was 0.34 0.015 mg/cm2 for the EO. The median lethal time (LT50) was determined to compare the toxicity of EO and the major constituents. The EO was the most potent insecticide (LT50 = 98 2 min), followed by the mixture of myristicin and elemicin (1.4:1) (LT50 = 127 2 min) indicating that the efficiency of the EO is potentiated by minor compounds and emphasizing one of the major assets of EOs against pure molecules.

International audience; Analysis of the extracts contained in Burkea africana heartwood is studied with the aim of better understanding the reasons of the exceptional durability of this type of wood. The results obtained show that in spite of the fungicidal and termiticidal properties of certain products contained in the extracts, these properties do not allow to explain entirely the reasons of the durability. The strongly hydrophobic character of wood as its high dimensional stability would be also significant factors of its resistance. Analysis of the products present in the diethylether extracts indicates the presence of fats, waxes and squalene which could be the reason of the preceding results.; À propos de la durabilité du bois de cœur de Burkea africana. L'analyse des matières extractibles contenues dans le Burkea africana est étudiée dans le but de mieux comprendre les raisons de la durabilité exceptionnelle de ce type de bois. Les résultats obtenus montrent que malgré les propriétés fongicides et termiticides de certains produits contenus dans les extraits, ces dernières ne permettent pas d'expliquer entièrement à elles seules les raisons de la durabilité. Le caractère hydrophobe du bois ainsi que sa forte stabilité dimensionnelle seraient également des facteurs importants de sa résistance. L'analyse des produits présents dans les extraits éthérés indique la présence de graisses, de cires et de squalène pouvant être à la base des résultats précédents.