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. 2023 Feb 6;13(1):2119.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29421-2.

Ovicidal toxicity of plant essential oils and their major constituents against two mosquito vectors and their non-target aquatic predators

Tanapoom Moungthipmalai  1 , Cheepchanok Puwanard  1 , Jirapon Aungtikun  1 , Sirawut Sittichok  1 , Mayura Soonwera  2
Affiliations

Ovicidal toxicity of plant essential oils and their major constituents against two mosquito vectors and their non-target aquatic predators

Tanapoom Moungthipmalai et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Plant essential oil (EO) is a natural alternative to synthetic chemical insecticides for mosquito control. EOs from Citrus aurantium L., Cymbopogon citratus (Stapf.), and Cinnamomum verum (J. Presl.) were selected for topical assay of their ovicidal activity against Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse). Their efficacy was compared to that of 1% (w/w) temephos. In addition, their non-toxicity against aquatic mosquito predators, Poecilia latipinna and Poecilia reticulata, was tested. Found by GC-MS analysis, the major constituent of C. verum EO was trans-cinnamaldehyde, of C. aurantium EO was D-limonene, and of C. citratus EO was geranial. Both C. verum EO and trans-cinnamaldehyde at a high concentration (30,000 ppm) exhibited high ovicidal activity against Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus eggs after 48 h of incubation with an inhibition rate of 91.0-93.0% for C. verum EO and 96.7-95.2% for trans-cinnamaldehyde. The combination of C. verum EO + geranial exhibited the strongest synergistic inhibition activity (100%) against the two mosquito vectors and was five times more effective than temephos. Moreover, they were not toxic to the non-target fishes. As a safe ovicidal agent for mosquito egg control, the combination of C. verum EO + geranial has excellent potential.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scanning electron micrographs of Aedes aegypti eggs: (A,B) non-treated egg, intact exochorionic cuticle with cell borders (b), papillae (p), and aeropyles (a), morphological damage to exochorionic cuticle after treated with d-limonene (C), geranial (D), and trans-cinnamaldehyde (E).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scanning electron micrographs of Aedes albopictus eggs: (A,B) non-treated egg, intact exochorionic cuticle with cell borders (b), papillae (p), and aeropyles (a), morphological damage to exochorionic cuticle after treated with d-limonene (C), geranial (D), and trans-cinnamaldehyde (E).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mortality rates of the combined formulations against the eggs of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, compared to those against non-target predators of mosquitoes, Poecilia latipinna and Poecilia reticulate fishes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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