Mosquito larvicidal activity of Annona reticulata extract and its lethal impacts on allelochemicals detoxifying enzymes in wild population dengue vector, Aedes aegypti

Abstract

The dengue vector Aedes aegypti is exceptionally threatening worldwide as it causes a primary viral disease (dengue), even though the vector species has other viral loads. This study was aimed at investigating the Annona reticulata extract with respect to the larvicidal activity against the 4^th instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, the toxicity on a non-target aquatic organism (Chironomus costatus), and the biochemical marker enzymes in the mosquito larvae. Among various solvent tested, ethyl acetate as extraction solvent showed the highest mortality (100%) at 200 ppm against Aedes aegypti with no adverse effect on the non-target aquatic organism tested. Besides, the ethyl acetate extract showed significant inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (19%), α- and β-carboxylesterases (47.2 & 70.3%, respectively), glutathione S-transferase (35.2%), and alkaline phosphatase (22.3%). Moreover, the protein (13.7%) and acid phosphatase (11.2%) were reduced without being significant in the quantitative analyses. In qualitative analyses, we also observed that all enzyme patterns showed differential expression upon exposure to the ethyl acetate extract against the 4^th instar larvae of Aedes aegypti at a lethal concentration (LC₅₀: 72.5 ppm) for 24 h. These findings precisely showed that the Annona reticulata active extract (using ethyl acetate) can be used as an alternative in pest and vector control management contributing towards not spreading infectious diseases.

Keywords:

• Annona reticulata
• Aedes aegypti
• larvicidal activity
• Chironomus costatus
• esterase
• glutathione S-transferase
• phosphatase

Acknowledgment

We acknowledge the University Grand Commission-University Potential for Excellence-PHASE II, New Delhi (No. 2013/PFEP/C3/199) for the financial support of this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.