Screening of a Few traditionally used Medicinal Plants for their Larvicidal Efficacy against Aedes aegypti Linn (Diptera: Culicidae), a Dengue Fever Vector

Abstract

Mosquitoes are the significant group of insects as they cause morbidity and mortality to human beings by severe diseases, such as zika, malaria, filariasis, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile virus and chikungunya. According to World Health Organization draft on global vector control response, 2017 more than 80 percentage of global human populations were significantly infected by at least one vector-borne disease. This vector -borne diseases may induce social and economic burden over the globe. Herbal products with larvicidal properties have been used as natural insecticides for eco-friendly vector control programme. The larvicidal efficacy of nine medicinal plants collected from Wayanad district of Kerala, a part of Western Ghats, India was assessed against fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. The larvicidal bio assay had been carried out according to WHO standard protocol with acetone, methanol, petroleum ether and water as extracts. Out of nine traditionally used medicinal plants screened, Persicaria hydropiper and Plectranthus hadiensis have significant larvicidal efficacy with LC 50 489.278 Mg/ L and LC 50 411.746 Mg/ L respectively against the fourth instar larvae of this dengue fever vector. Hence the aforesaid plants can be used as a potential natural insecticide against mosquitoes thus, to control mosquito borne diseases.