Phytochemical Composition, Antifungal and Insecticidal Properties of the Essential Oils of Three Species of the Genus Eryngium Tourn. ex L. (Apiaceae, Saniculoideae) Growing Natively in Tunisia.

In order to highlight a possible chemical variability, this research was designed to contrast, for the first time, the chemical profile, antifungal, and insecticidal effects of the oils of three Eryngium species (E. pusillum [E.p.], E. maritimum [E.m.], and E. campestre [E.c.]) found in the wild natively in Tunisia. Hydrodistillation was employed to extract the volatile oils, which were subsequently characterized using gas chromatography (GC) and GC mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Additionally, the assessment of antifungal efficacy of three specimens toward Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Trichophyton rubrum were conducted. Afterwards, the insecticidal efficacy was examined by repellency and toxicity assays toward Tribolium confusum, the principal insect pests causing damage to stored cereals. Spathulenol (27.4% and 22.1%) ranks first in E.c. and E.p., and amorpha-4,9-dien-2-ol (13.9%) is the major aroma in E.m. species. Both E.p. and E.c. indicated promising antidermatophyte property against T. rubrum with MIC50 value of 500 µg mL-1. Repellency tests revealed that E.p. and E.c. EOs were moderately repellent, whereas E.m. EO was weakly repellent.