Evaluation of the larvicidal activity of nanoemulsion from citrus aurantifolia (Christm) swingle peel on culex pipiens l. (diptera: Culicidae) and the induced morphological aberrations

Abstract

There is an urgent need for effective safe alternatives to chemical insecticides for the control of the insect vectors of diseases. Nanotechnology is a promising field for such innovative products. The current study was implemented to evaluate the toxicity of the nanoemulsion prepared from the essential oil (EO) of Cirtus aurantifolia peel against the third instar larvae of Culex pipiens and the morphological alterations in the larvae induced by the nanoemulsion. The formulated nanoemulsion was characterized; the mean droplet size was 20.7±2.6 nm with a polydispersity index value of 0.298. The LC50 of the EO nanoemulsion was 33.65 ppm. The tested larvicide induced notable morphological aberration in the treated Cx. pipiens larvae compared to the untreated ones; mainly in the anal region. The present research showed that nanoemulsion of C. aurantifolia EO can be used efficiently and ecofriendly in the integrated control programs of the vector-borne disease Cx. pipiens larvae.