Leucosceptrum canum Sm. essential oil. A natural solution for sustainable nematode and bacterial management

Plant-parasitic nematodes, particularly Meloidogyne incognita, are major agricultural pests, damaging over 2000 plant species and causing substantial crop losses globally. This study investigates the essential oil (EO) from Leucosceptrum canum (LCAO), a rare Himalayan plant, as a potential natural nematicide, antibacterial agent and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor. GC–MS analysis identified 22 compounds in LCAO, with α-pinene, δ-cadinene, β-pinene and α-cadinol as the primary constituents. LCAO exhibited strong nematicidal activity, achieving 80% mortality at 1.0 μL/mL and over 80% egg-hatching inhibition after 96 h. The EO also demonstrated promising antibacterial activity, especially against Staphylococcus aureus, and significant acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, with an IC50 value of 26.081 μg/mL. Molecular docking studies further revealed δ-cadinene as a potent AChE inhibitor, exceeding the binding score of the standard, physostigmine. This study provides the first detailed analysis of LCAO, highlighting its potential as an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to synthetic nematicides and antibiotics for managing plant-parasitic nematodes and bacterial pathogens.