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 (<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 O. americanum.

DNA breaks, in particular double-strand breaks (DSBs), produced by radiation and radiomimetic agents are amongst the most toxic forms of DNA damage, in part because they are associated with extensive oxidative chemical modification at the break termini. Prior to the completion of DSB repair, the chemically modified termini associated with radiation-induced damage must be removed. A number of DNA processing enzymes have been implicated in the processing of these ‘dirty ends’, but our knowledge of this process remains limited. Here, we demonstrate a role for the 5’-3’ exonuclease SNM1A in this process. Cells disrupted for SNM1A are sensitive to radiation and radiomimetic agents and show defects in the resolution of the lethal DSB damage they induce. SNM1A is recruited and retained to the sites of complex DNA damage via the concerted action of three highly conserved interaction domains the PBZ, UBZ and PIP box, mediating interactions with poly-ADP-ribose chains, PCNA and the ubiquitinated form of PCNA, respectively. Consistent with its unprecedented capacity to digest DNA containing a wide range of chemically modified nucleotides, we found that SNM1A can resect DNA containing oxidative lesions representative of those induced by radiation damage at break termini. Taken together, our work reveals a crucial role for SNM1A in the repair of toxic DNA breaks.