Pam Euza A. Bayon^1,, Alieyah Neash A. Omaña¹, Vanessa Shayne A. Colegio¹, Vin Rosel A. Tagactac¹, Ian Jay P. Saldo¹, Mary Jade P. Dandoy¹

Tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta) and Oregano (Origanum vulgare), a well-known herbal plants endemic to tropical countries like the Philippines that are known to contain various bioactive components that had been used in traditional medicine. Despite its wide use and established efficacy, the plants’ full potential has not yet been fully explored. Thus, this study sought to investigate the larvicidal activity of both plants as a potential larvicide for Yellow Fever Mosquitos (Aedes aegypti) which are known as diseases-carriers of yellow fever and dengue fever, specifically: determine their phytochemical properties, investigate the mortality rate of yellow fever mosquitoes exposed to both plant extracts, and ascertain if there is a significant difference in the mortality rate of the mosquitoes when exposed to varying concentrations of both plants extracts. The study employed a mixed-methods analysis particularly a qualitative phytochemical screening and quasi-experimental design. Plants extracts are acquired using the maceration technique and Wagner’s test and Salkowski test were used to determine phytochemical properties. The study employed larvicidal bioassay on mosquito larvae that were exposed to the leaf extracts utilizing a container with a 50 mL volume of the solution with varying concentrations for three trials. Phytochemical screening revealed that both leaf extract contains alkaloids and has no terpenoids. One-way ANOVA revealed that at a significant level of 0.05, the p-value of 0.00, there has been a significant difference in the mortality rate of Yellow fever mosquitoes when exposed to Tawa-tawa and Oregano extracts; thus the study’s null hypothesis was rejected. It is evident that both plant leaf extract was deemed effective as larvicides against mosquito larvae; however, further studies on dose analysis and lethal concentration may be considered to fully explore the plant extracts’ full potential.

concentrations, disease carrier, larvicidal activity, larvicidal bioassay, leaf extract, mortality rate, mosquito larvae