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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317531
Research Project: Biting Arthropod Surveillance and Control

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: Tackling the growing threat of dengue: Phyllanthus niruri-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their mosquitocidal properties against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Author
item SURESH, UDAIYAN - Bharathiar University
item MURUGAN, KADARKARAI - Bharathiar University
item BENELLI, GIOVANNI - University Of Pisa
item NICOLETTI, MARCELLO - University Of Rome Sapienza
item Barnard, Donald
item PANNEERSELVAM, CHELLASAMY - Bharathiar University
item KUMAR, PALANISAMY - Bharathiar University
item SUBRAMANIAM, JAYAPAL - Bharathiar University
item DINESH, DEVAKUMAR - Bharathiar University
item CHANDRAMOHAN, BALAMURUGAN - Bharathiar University

Submitted to: Parasitology Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2015
Publication Date: 2/12/2015
Citation: Suresh, U., Murugan, K., Benelli, G., Nicoletti, M., Barnard, D.R., Panneerselvam, C., Kumar, P.M., Subramaniam, J., Dinesh, D., Chandramohan, B. 2015. Tackling the growing threat of dengue: Phyllanthus niruri-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their mosquitocidal properties against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Parasitology Research. doi: 10.1007/s00436-015-4339-9.

Interpretive Summary: The Yellow Fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) is an important vector of Yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya viruses in many parts of the world. The use of synthetic insecticides to control this disease vector is accompanied by high operational costs and adverse non-target effects. As a potential alternative to synthetic insecticides, Indian and ARS scientists studied the use of silver nanoparticles synthesized using Phyllanthus niruri leaf extract for mosquito control. In tests in the laboratory and the field, silver nanoparticles were highly toxic to immature (larvicide LD50: 3.9 ppm to 8.9 ppm) and adult Ae. aegypti (contact toxicity LD50: 6.6ppm to 23.6 ppm). This study demonstrated the efficacy of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles against Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and suggests that additional development of nanoparticles as an effective and efficient mosquito vector control technology may be warranted.

Technical Abstract: Mosquitoes transmit pathogens that cause millions of human deaths each year. Dengue virus is transmitted to humans in tropical and subtropical areas by Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). The use of synthetic insecticides to control this mosquito is accompanied by high operational costs and adverse non-target effects. As an alternative to synthetic insecticides, we propose the green-synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the aqueous leaf extract of Phyllanthus niruri. In laboratory bioassays, P. niruri-synthesized nanoparticles were highly toxic to A. aegypti larvae with LC50 values ranging from 3.9 ppm to 8.9 ppm for 1st and 4th instars respectively and 13.04 ppm for pupae. In the field, silver nanoparticles applied at 10×the LC50 for 4th instars reduced A. aegypti larval populations by 47.6%, 76.7% and 100% at 24, 48, and 72 h post-treatment. In tests against adult mosquitoes, LC50 and LC90 values for the contact toxicity of nanoparticles was 6.68 ppm and 23.58 ppm respectively. Our results indicate good efficacy for P. niruri-synthesized silver nanoparticles against Ae. aegypti and suggest that further study is warranted with respect to their use for mosquito vector control.