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

Abstract

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—Curcuma longa (turmeric), Ocimum americanum (hoary basil), and Petroselinum crispum (parsley)—against Aedes albopictus. Subsequently, we examined the phytochemical composition of the extracts through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. Results revealed that the hexane extracts of O. americanum and P. crispum exhibited the greatest larvicidal activity with the lowest median lethal concentration (LC50) values (O. americanum.

Keywords

• <i>Aedes albopictus</i>
• <i>Curcuma longa</i>
• <i>Ocimum americanum</i>
• <i>Petroselinum crispum</i>
• Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
• lethal concentration