Phytochemical screening and Antivectoral activity of Muntingia calabura

Abstract

Mosquitoes are the vectors of many severe diseases like malaria, dengue, yellow fever, filariasis, chikunguniya, west nile virus, western equine encephalitis and considered as one of the life threatening creatures in the world. The present study aims to identify the phytochemical compounds and larvicidal activities of the two extracts, ethanol and chloroform, present in the leaves of Muntingia calabura against the filarial vector Culex quinquefasiatus and to compare the efficiency of these two extracts. The plant leaves were collected, dried and powdered and the extracts were prepared using chloroform and ethanol and then series of tests were conducted. The eggs were collected, hatched and reared in the laboratory. The colony of larval instars were kept in glass beaker along with dechlorinated water and added with desired concentrations of plant extract and the mortality rate were calculated. The mortality of larvae was observed at 48hrs. The LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values of M.calabura leaf extracts were depicted and for the each test the concentration of the extract is increased. It was observed that the mortality increases as the concentration of extract increases. Among the two extracts, Muntingia calabura ethanol leaf extract was found to be more effective than the chloroform extract against the filarial vector Culex quinquefasiatus which is cost efficient and ideal ecofriendly approach for the control of mosquitoes.