Seasonal and circadian evaluation of Ageratum conyzoides essential oil and its nematicidal activity against Caenorhabditis elegans

The aim of this study was to evaluate the circadian and seasonal variation of Ageratum conyzoides essential oil (EO) and its nematicidal effect on the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for parasitic helminths. For the seasonal study, the plants were collected from January to December 2022, at 6 a.m., and to assess the circadian rhythm, the plants were collected in April (rainy season) and October (dry season), at 6, 9, 12 a.m. and 3 and 6 p.m. The fresh plants were then subjected to hydrodistillation, and their chemical composition was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The motility test with C. elegans was carried out. The primary constituent of the oils was precocene I (65.97 to 78.42 %, respectively), followed by E-caryophyllene (6.04 to 12.16 %), comprising an average of 79.87 % of the composition throughout the year. The average yields of EOs were slightly higher in the rainy season, at 0.68 %, compared to the dry season, at 0.62 %. High light hours in the rainy season (12 a.m., 0.96 %) and in the dry season (9 a.m., 0.88 %) seem to contribute to higher daily oil yields. It was observed that the variation between the main constituents of A. conyzoides occurs in inverse proportion when analyzing the main classes of compounds present in the oils: chromenes (CH) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (SH). And that the month of March had the highest content of E-caryophyllene (12.16 %) when compared to the other months of the year. On the other hand, January and December had the lowest levels of precocene I (65.97 and 66.85 %). The IC50 of the EO of A. conyzoides varied according to the month and time of collection. The EO obtained in January was the most effective against C. elegans, with an IC50 of 0.01 mg/mL. Thus, A. conyzoides EO could be an alternative for nematode control, exhibiting greater efficacy if extracted during specific seasonal periods.