Larvicidal activity of the methanol extract and fractions of the green fruits of Solanum lycocarpum (Solanaceae) against the vector Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

• Main Authors: Thamer Matias Pereira, Viviane de Cássia Bicalho Silva, José Antônio Ribeiro Neto, Stênio Nunes Alves, Luciana Alves Rodrigues dos Santos Lima
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2014-10-01
• Series: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Subjects: Bioassay; Mosquito; Pesticide
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822014000500646&lng=en&tlng=en

Introduction The larvicidal activity of Solanum lycocarpum against Culex quinquefasciatus is unknown. Methods We evaluated the larvicidal activity of extracts of the green fruits of Solanum lycocarpum against third and fourth instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus. Results Dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions showed the greatest larvicidal effect at 200mg/L (83.3% and 86.7%, respectively). The methanol and dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and hydromethanolic fractions demonstrated larvicidal effects against C. quinquefasciatus, with LC50 values of 126.24, 75.13, 83.15, and 207.05mg/L, respectively. Conclusions Thus, when considering new drugs with larvicidal activity from natural products, S. lycocarpum fruits may be good candidate sources.