Mosquito larvicidal potential of hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one (MALTOL) isolated from the methanol root extract of Senecio laetus Edgew. and its in-silico study

Abstract

In the present study, hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one was isolated from the methanol root extract of Senecio laetus and was identified by FT-IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR and GC-MS. The larvicidal potential of the compound 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one was evaluated against the 4^th instar larvae of Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus at concentrations ranging from 20 to 1.25 ppm under laboratory conditions. The compound showed 100% mortality at 20 ppm against all the tested mosquitoe species and the LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values were 1.22 and 7.25 ppm (An. stephensi), 2.10 and 99.84 ppm (Ae. aegypti) and 3.88 and 12.47 ppm (Cx. quinquefasciatus), respectively after 24 h of exposure period. In silico molecular docking study results reflects that hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one compound showed highest binding affinity with OBP of Cx. quinquefasciatus (Glide energy score – 7.3 kcal/mol⁻¹⁾. The larvicidal activity of hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one against tested mosquito species appears interesting and may be developed after toxicological and field evaluation.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Anopheles stephensi
• Aedes aegypti
• Culex quinquefasciatus
• Senecio laetus
• hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one

Disclosure statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.