Evaluation of toxicity of plant extracts against vector of lymphatic filariasis, Culex quinquefasciatus.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Conventional insecticides are generally used as larvicides to control Culex quinquefasciatus, vector of lymphatic filariasis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the larvicidal activity of some potential larvicidal plants leaf extracts against Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae. METHODS: The toxic effects of petroleum ether leaf extracts of plants viz., Argemone mexicana (Mexican prickly poppy), Clausena dentata (Dentate), Cipadessa baccifera (Rana bili), Dodonaea angustifolia (Hop bush) and Melia dubia (Pride of India) were evaluated under laboratory conditions in individual and in combination against 3 rd - 4 th instar larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus. RESULTS: The results indicated that among the selected plants, A. mexicana showed maximum larvicidal activity with an LC 50 value of 48.89 ppm. Its toxicity was enhanced when the extract was mixed (1:1) with that of C. dentata as the LC 50 value became 28.60 ppm indicating synergistic action of A. mexicana. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed high larvicidal potential in A. mexicana leaf extract, and it also showed additive effect when mixed with C. dentata extract.

In Silico Screening, Alanine Mutation, and DFT Approaches for Identification of NS2B/NS3 Protease Inhibitors.

To identify the ligand that binds to a target protein with high affinity is a nontrivial task in computer-assisted approaches. Antiviral drugs have been identified for NS2B/NS3 protease enzyme on the mechanism to cleave the viral protein using the computational tools. The consequence of the molecular docking, free energy calculations, and simulation protocols explores the better ligand. It provides in-depth structural insights with the catalytic triad of His51, Asp75, Ser135, and Gly133. The MD simulation was employed here to predict the stability of the complex. The alanine mutation has been performed and its stability was monitored by using the molecular dynamics simulation. The minimal RMSD value suggests that the derived complexes are close to equilibrium. The DFT outcome reveals that the HOMO-LUMO gap of Ligand19 is 2.86 kcal/mol. Among the considered ligands, Ligand19 shows the lowest gap and it is suggested that the HOMO of Ligand19 may transfer the electrons to the LUMO in the active regions. The calculated binding energy of Ligand19 using the DFT method is in good agreement with the docking studies. The pharmacological activity of ligand was performed and satisfies Lipinski rule of 5. Moreover, the computational results are compared with the available IC50 values of experimental results.

Larvicidal and chemosterilant activity of the acetone fraction of petroleum ether extract from Argemone mexicana L seed.

The acetone fraction of the petroleum ether extract of seeds from Argemone mexicana L. exhibited larvicidal and growth inhibiting activity against the second instar larvae of Aedes aegypti (Linn). This activity occurred at higher concentrations (200, 100, 50 and 25 ppm). Chemosterilant activity, including reduction in blood meal utilization (27.70%), reduction in fecundity (19.00%), formation of larval-pupal intermediates, formation of pupal-adult intermediates, adult mortality and sterility of first generation eggs (100%), occurred at low concentration (10 ppm).

Mosquito larvicidal activity of linear alkane hydrocarbons from Excoecaria agallocha L. against Culex quinquefasciatus Say.

Excoecaria agallocha Linn. the blinding mangrove tree of historical significance, is well known for its curative properties. In this investigation, crude hexane extract from the dried roots of E. agallocha inhibited 50% of the growth of third instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say. within 24 h (LC(50): 315 ppm). SiO(2) (60-120) column chromatography purification of the extract yielded four fractions, of which fractions 3 (LC(50): 61.2 ppm) and 4 (LC(50): 74.5 ppm) exhibited 100% larvicidal activity within 18-24 h. Bioactive fraction 3 contained sub-fractions R1 and R2. R1 was characterised by (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR and FAB mass spectrometry techniques as the acyclic hydrocarbon n-triacontane (C(30)H(62)).

Effect of biochanin - a against filarial vector.

A successful attempt of using sodium salt of a water- insoluble larvicide, as an alternative to the use of solutions of such larvicides in acetone and water, for the larvicidal studies is made, in the present study biochanin - A an isoflavone isolated from the flowers of Dalbergia sissoides (grah) when assessed for larvicidal study as its sodium salt on the fourth instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus (Sa) showed significant larvicidal activity [LC 50 308.238ppm, LC90 1889.926 ppm].