Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: March | Volume: 6 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 164-170
Phytochemical Screening and Repellent Activity of Leaf Extracts of Ocimum basilicum and Albizia amara against the Mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus
Nithya. R1, Dr. R. Dhivya2
1 PG Student, 2Assistant Professor,
PG and Research Department of Zoology, Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu,
Corresponding Author: Dr. R. Dhivya
ABSTRACT
Background: In recent years synthetic insecticides in mosquito control resulted in environmental hazards through persistence and accumulation of non-biodegradable chemicals in ecosystem, development of insecticide resistance among vector species and toxic effect in human health and non target organisms. These developments demand renewed alternative insecticidal agents with high biocontrol potentiality but cause little or no harmful effect to environment and human health. In accordance the present study evaluated the repellent activities of solvent extracts of Ocimum basilicum and Albizia amara leaves on Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.
Methods: The repellent activity of solvent extracts of leaves of Ocimum basilicum and Albizia amara tested against the adult females of mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. One hundred female mosquitoes which were starved for three days were kept on net cage and used for repellent bioassay using methods of World Health Organization. The repellency was determined at three concentration viz., 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 mg/cm2 under the laboratory conditions.
Results: In the present study at higher concentration of 5.0 mg/cm2, acetone extract of O. basilicum provided 100% protection throughout the study period and when tested showed the presence of phytochemical viz., alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, terpenoids, phenols, tannins and proteins. In case of A. amara at higher concentration of 5.0 mg/cm2, chloroform leaf extract provided 100% protection up to 150 minutes and revealed the presence of phytochemical viz., alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, anthraquinones, phenols, tannins and quinones.
Conclusion: It may be concluded that, the repellency of different solvent extracts mat be attributed to the phytochemicals present in the solvent extracts.
Key words: Repellent activity; Plant extracts; Culex quinquefasciatus; Mosquito; Phytochemical; Ocimum basilicum; Albizia amara
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