Mosquitocidal Activity of Extracts from <i>Ammi visnaga </i>(Apiaceae) Seeds

Abstract

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are responsible for transmission of many viral diseases, such as Zika fever, dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya. Emergence of resistance to currently used pesticides among mosquitoes has increased the importance for the search for novel mosquito control agents. Natural products, particularly plant and microbe derived secondary metabolites, are good sources in the search for such compounds. Ammi visnaga (Lam.) Lamarck is a plant in the Apiaceae family native to North Africa, Europe, and Asia. In the search for environmentally benign and effective insecticides as part of an ongoing joint effort between the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and the DWFP (Deployed War Fighter Protection) program sponsored by the Department of Defense, we have investigated ethyl acetate extract of A. visnaga seeds. Two furanochromones, khellin and visnagin that exhibited larvicide activity against Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the seeds by bioassay-guided fractionation. This is the first report of mosquito larvicidal activity of khellin and visnagin.

Plant Natural Products for the Control of Aedes aegypti: The Main Vector of Important Arboviruses

“…(Umbelliferae), caused L3 mortality (LC 50 192.1 μM) [ 140 ]. In another study, 83 demonstrated 100% larvae mortality at 3.84 μM and 75% adult mortality at 19.21 μM/mosquito for permethrin-susceptible strains [ 141 ]. Another furanochromone isolated from A. visnaga , visnagin ( 84 ) presented 93% mortality at 4.34 μM, together with moderate adulticidal activity (65% mortality at 21.72 μM/mosquito).…”

“…In addition, this study investigated 2 furanocoumarins isolated from Ruta graveolens L. Royle (Rutaceae): 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP) ( 85 ) and 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) ( 86 ), which showed moderate adulticidal activity (55% mortality at 23.13 μM/mosquito and 67.5% mortality at 23.13 μM/mosquito, respectively). Compound 86 presented weak activity against L3 (53.3% mortality at 4.63 μM) while 85 was inactive [ 141 ].…”

Larvicidal constituents from Poncirus trifoliata root extracts

“…In the search for effective and environmentally friendly mosquito control agents, we have examined natural sources such as microbes and plants and the synthetic analogs of natural products (Meepagala et al 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018). These plants and microbes have evolved in their ecological niches to produce defensive compounds against other competing organisms in their surroundings such as microbes, plants, and insects to enhance their survival.…”