PLoS ONE (Jan 2012)

Oviposition-stimulant and ovicidal activities of Moringa oleifera lectin on Aedes aegypti.

  • Nataly Diniz de Lima Santos,
  • Kézia Santana de Moura,
  • Thiago Henrique Napoleão,
  • Geanne Karla Novais Santos,
  • Luana Cassandra Breitenbach Barroso Coelho,
  • Daniela Maria do Amaral Ferraz Navarro,
  • Patrícia Maria Guedes Paiva

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0044840
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 9
p. e44840

Abstract

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BackgroundNatural insecticides against the vector mosquito Aedes aegypti have been the object of research due to their high level of eco-safety. The water-soluble Moringa oleifera lectin (WSMoL) is a larvicidal agent against A. aegypti. This work reports the effects of WSMoL on oviposition and egg hatching of A. aegypti.Methodology/principal findingsWSMoL crude preparations (seed extract and 0-60 protein fraction), at 0.1 mg/mL protein concentration, did not affect oviposition, while A. aegypti gravid females laid their eggs preferentially (73%) in vessels containing isolated WSMoL (0.1 mg/mL), compared with vessels containing only distilled water (control). Volatile compounds were not detected in WSMoL preparation. The hatchability of fresh eggs deposited in the solutions in the oviposition assay was evaluated. The numbers of hatched larvae in seed extract, 0-60 protein fraction and WSMoL were 45 ± 8.7 %, 20 ± 11 % and 55 ± 7.5 %, respectively, significantly (pConclusions/significanceWSMoL acted both as a chemical stimulant cue for ovipositing females and ovicidal agent at a given concentration. The oviposition-stimulant and ovicidal activities, combined with the previously reported larvicidal activity, make WSMoL a very interesting candidate in integrated A. aegypti control.