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Isolation and identification of mosquito larvicidal compound from Abutilon indicum (Linn.) Sweet

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Abstract

Larvicidal activity of crude hexane, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether, acetone and methanol extracts of five medicinal plants, Abutilon indicum, Aegle marmelos, Euphorbia thymifolia, Jatropha gossypifolia and Solanum torvum were assayed for their toxicity against the early fourth-instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus. The larval mortality was observed after 24 h exposure. All extracts showed moderate larvicidal effects; however, the highest larval mortality was found in petroleum ether extract of A. indicum. In the present study, bioassay-guided fractionation of A. indicum led to the separation and identification of a β-sitosterol as a potential new mosquito larvicidal compound with LC50 value of 11.49, 3.58 and 26.67 ppm against Aedes aegypti L, Anopheles stephensi Liston and C. quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae), respectively. 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectral data confirmed the identification of the active compound. β-sitosterol has been recognized as the active ingredient of many medicinal plant extracts. All the crude extracts when screened for their larvicidal activities indicated toxicity against the larvae of C. quinquefasciatus. This article reports the isolation and identification of the β-sitosterol as well as bioassay data for the crude extracts. There are no reports of β-sitosterol in the genus A. indicum, and their larvicidal activities are being evaluated for the first time. Results of this study show that the petroleum ether extract of A. indicum may be considered as a potent source and β-sitosterol as a new natural mosquito larvicidal agent.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to C. Abdul Hakeem College Management, Prof. U. Peer, Principal and Dr.Ahmed Najib, HOD of Zoology Department for their help and suggestion. We wish to thank The Principal and HOD of Zoology Department, Loyola College, Chennai for providing necessary facilities for our experimental work. We are thankful to Dr. S. Narasimhan, Associate Director, SPIC Science Foundation, Chennai for his help and encouragement. AR is indebted to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for award of fellowship.

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  1. Unit of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Zoology, C.Abdul Hakeem College, Melvisharam, 632 509, India

    A. Abdul Rahuman

  2. Center for Natural Products, SPIC Science Foundation, 64, Mount Road, Chennai, 600 032, India

    Geetha Gopalakrishnan

  3. Department of Zoology, Loyola College, Chennai, 600 032, India

    P. Venkatesan

  4. Department of Chemistry, Muthurangam Govt.Arts College, Vellore, 632 002, India

    Kannappan Geetha

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Abdul Rahuman, A., Gopalakrishnan, G., Venkatesan, P. et al. Isolation and identification of mosquito larvicidal compound from Abutilon indicum (Linn.) Sweet. Parasitol Res 102, 981–988 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-007-0864-5

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