Mosquito Larvicidal Activity and Cytotoxicity of the Extracts of Aromatic Plants from Malaysia

Despite ongoing control efforts, the mosquito population and diseases vectored by them continue to thrive worldwide, causing major health concerns. There has been growing interest in the use of botanicals as alternatives to insecticides due to their widespread insecticidal properties, biodegradabili...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Huimei Lim, Sook Yee Lee, Lai Yee Ho, Nam Weng Sit
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-06-01
Series:Insects
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/6/512
Description
Summary:Despite ongoing control efforts, the mosquito population and diseases vectored by them continue to thrive worldwide, causing major health concerns. There has been growing interest in the use of botanicals as alternatives to insecticides due to their widespread insecticidal properties, biodegradability, and adaptability to ecological conditions. In this study, we investigated the larvicidal activity and cytotoxicity effects of solvent extracts from three aromatic plants—<i>Curcuma longa</i> (turmeric), <i>Ocimum americanum</i> (hoary basil), and <i>Petroselinum crispum</i> (parsley)—against <i>Aedes albopictus</i>. Subsequently, we examined the phytochemical composition of the extracts through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. Results revealed that the hexane extracts of <i>O. americanum</i> and <i>P. crispum</i> exhibited the greatest larvicidal activity with the lowest median lethal concentration (LC<sub>50</sub>) values (<30 µg/mL) at 24 h post-treatment, with the former found to be significantly less toxic towards African monkey kidney (Vero) cells. The GC–MS analysis of the said extract indicated the presence of different classes of metabolites, including phenylpropanoids, very long-chain alkanes, fatty acids and their derivatives, and terpenes, with the most abundant component being methyl eugenol (55.28%), most of which, have been documented for their larvicidal activities. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential use and development of bioinsecticides, particularly from <i>O. americanum</i>.
ISSN:2075-4450