Bioactivity of Extracts of Foeniculum vulgare and Ocimum basilicum against Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann)

As Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann) is known to cause considerable damage to wood work in buildings. Efficacy of extracts of Foeniculum vulgare and Ocimum basilicum was studied against this termite. Chemical composition of plant extracts by chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed five different compounds in F. vulgare: Piperidine, 3-isopropyl, Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one, 1,3,3-trimethyl, Benzaldehyde, 4-methoxy, Estragole, 11-Octadecenoic acid, methyl ester and 9-Octadecenoic acid ethyl ester. Whereas nine different compounds were identified in extracts of O. basilicum. These were: 1-Isopropyl-2, 2-dimethylpropylideneamine, Camphor, Naphthalene, Thymol, 1,5,5- Trimethyl-6-x methylene-cyclohexene, Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, 9,12,15 Octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester, 8, 11, 14-Eicosatrienoic acid and 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester. Extracts of both the plants were found repellent to this termite. LT50 values of O. basilicum and F vulgare against Heterotermes indicola were 60.91 and 115.9 h, respectively.