Larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti of essential oil of Laurus nobilis leaves obtained at different seasons

Abstract

Aedes aegypti is a mosquito and vector of dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus making it a serious global health problem. We aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of Laurus nobilis leaves obtained at different seasons and its A. aegypti larvicidal activity. The EO was obtained from fresh leaves by hydrodistillation. Larvicidal activity was determined by the larval immersion test. It was identified 37 EO chemical compounds and the major ones were 1,8-cineole and linalool. Seasonal variations affected EO larvicidal activity: spring LC₅₀ was 0.41 mg/mL and LC₉₉ 0.77 mg/mL, autumn LC₅₀ was 0.60 mg/mL and LC₉₉ 1.37 mg/mL, winter LC₅₀ was 0.66 mg/mL and LC₉₉ 3.19 mg/mL and summer LC₅₀ was 0.91 mg/mL and LC₉₉ 2.50 mg/mL. The EO extracted during spring showed the highest larvicidal activity on A. aegypti larvae. Our results present a new perspective of L. nobilis EO use as a larvicidal agent.

Keywords:

• Dengue
• Laurus nobilis
• linalool
• 1,8-cineole
• larvicide
• seasonality

Acknowledgement

The authors thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for providing financial support.