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Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pisonia alba Leaf Extracts in Managing Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus Populations via Larvicidal, Pupicidal and Ovicidal Actions

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Pisonia alba Span commonly known as lettuce tree or bird catcher tree leaf extracts in controlling Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, which transmit several severe illnesses, such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis and Japanese encephalitis.

Methods

Sequential extraction of P. alba leaves was done using n-hexane, chloroform, and methanol. The larvicidal, pupicidal, and ovicidal activities of the extracts were evaluated against both mosquito species using standard bioassays. The concentrations of the extracts required to kill 50% of the mosquito larvae, pupae, and ova (LC50) were determined.

Results

The results showed that the methanol extract of P. alba had significant potential in killing the larvae, pupae, and ova of both mosquito species, with LC50 values of 65.0 and 54.5 ppm for larvicidal activity, 73.7 and 69.7 ppm for pupicidal activity, and 78.4 and 80.0 ppm for ovicidal activity against Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. The n-hexane extract demonstrated moderate larvicidal activity, while the n-hexane and chloroform extracts lacked ovicidal activity.

Conclusion

The methanol extract from Pisonia alba could be a natural and eco-friendly alternative for controlling mosquito populations responsible for transmitting vector-borne diseases. Further research is warranted to determine their practical applications in controlling mosquito populations in the field.

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Data availability

Data and materials have been provided with the manuscript as tables and figures. The datasets are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

Ae.aegypti:

Aedes aegypti

Cx. quinquefasciatus:

Culex quinquefasciatus

P. alba :

Pisonia alba

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

LC:

Lethal concentration

LL:

Lower limit

UL:

Upper limit

PPM:

Parts per million

DMSO:

Dimethyl sulfoxide

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the principal and secretary of the Loyola College for their unwavering support.

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The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

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  1. Research Department of Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology, Loyola College (Autonomous), Chennai, 600034, India

    Jelin Vilvest, M. C. John Milton & Alex Yagoo

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  1. Jelin Vilvest
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Correspondence to Jelin Vilvest.

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Vilvest, J., Milton, M.C.J. & Yagoo, A. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pisonia alba Leaf Extracts in Managing Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus Populations via Larvicidal, Pupicidal and Ovicidal Actions. Acta Parasit. 69, 260–266 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-023-00742-6

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