Larvicidal Potential of Pequi (Caryocar Brasiliense Cambess) in Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): An Ecological Alternative

Raquel da Silva Vieira^1, , Eduardo José de Arruda², Antônio Pancrácio de Souza³, Danilo Tófoli⁴, Rosângela Assis Jacques⁵, Patrick da Silva Mirowski³, Ana Cristina Jacobowski¹, Maria Lígia Rodrigues Macedo¹, Valter Aragão do Nascimento¹, Rita de Cássia Avellaneda Guimarães¹, Paulo Roberto Haidamus de Oliveira Bastos¹ and Danielle Bogo¹

¹Graduate Program in Health and Development in the Central-West Region of Brazil, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, 79079-900, Brazil

²Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology (FACET), Federal University of Grande Dourados, UFGD, Dourados, MS, Brazil

³Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, 79079-900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil

⁴Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Mato Grosso do Sul, IFMS, Coxim/MS, Brazil

⁵Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, UFRS, 91501 – 970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Cite this paper:
Raquel da Silva Vieira, Eduardo José de Arruda, Antônio Pancrácio de Souza, Danilo Tófoli, Rosângela Assis Jacques, Patrick da Silva Mirowski, Ana Cristina Jacobowski, Maria Lígia Rodrigues Macedo, Valter Aragão do Nascimento, Rita de Cássia Avellaneda Guimarães, Paulo Roberto Haidamus de Oliveira Bastos and Danielle Bogo. Larvicidal Potential of Pequi (Caryocar Brasiliense Cambess) in Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): An Ecological Alternative. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. 2024; 12(3):160-167. doi: 10.12691/jfnr-12-3-8

Abstract

There is a need to find sustainable alternatives to control this arbovirus vector due the increasing resistance of Aedes aegypti to conventional chemical insecticides especially in tropical and subtropical countries. This study aims to evaluate the larvicidal potential of the Caryocar brasiliense fruit pulp as an eco-friendly alternative to the control of Aedes aegypti. Using mosquito third instar larvae, in vitro and in vivo toxicity tests were performed with the fruit pulp of Caryocar brasiliense. Larvicidal activity was observed at all concentrations tested, with no evidence of toxicity in vitro and in vivo, indicating safety for non-target organisms. The results suggest that the fatty esters present in the pulp of Caryocar brasiliense may be a promising alternative for the control of Aedes aegypti. These findings pave the way for further studies on the structure-activity relationship of natural molecules in combating mosquito-borne diseases.

Keywords:
Caryocar brasiliense fatty acids larvicidal activity bioactive molecules eco-friendly

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