Subrata Mallick^1,2 , Kuntal Bhattacharya¹ , Goutam Chandra¹

1. Mosquito, Microbiology and Nanotechnology Research Units, Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
2. Department of Zoology, Maharajadhiraj Uday Chand Women’s College, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
Author    Correspondence author
Journal of Mosquito Research, 2014, Vol. 4, No. 19   doi: 10.5376/jmr.2014.04.0019
Received: 04 Oct., 2014    Accepted: 27 Nov., 2014    Published: 03 Dec., 2014

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Mallick et al., 2014, Mosquito larvicidal potentiality of wild turmeric, Curcuma aromatica rhizome, extracts against Japanese Encephalitis vector Culex vishnui group, Journal of Mosquito Research, Vol.4, No.19 1-6 (doi: 10.5376/jmr.2014.04.0019)

One of the promising ways to reduce mosquito population is the use of larvicide. Curcuma aromatica is a cosmetic herb in South Asia. The present study was conducted to explore the larvicidal effect of Curcuma aromatica rhizome extracts against the Culex vishnui group. To assess the larvicidal activity, crude extracts of rhizome of Curcuma aromatica were prepared ranging from 0.02% to 0.1% concentrations against all the instars of Cx. vishnui larvae. Active fractions were obtained by using six different solvents i.e. petroleum ether, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform: methanol (1:1 v/v), acetone, and absolute alcohol from non-polar to polar fashion. All the solvent extractives were tested against all the larval instars with graded concentrations ranging from 20 ppm to 100 ppm. Through log–probit analyses, LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values were determined. Afterwards the statistical justifications were done by ANOVA analyses with reference to time, concentrations and larval instars as three entirely randomized autonomous variables. Furthermore the bioactive fraction was tested against non-target organisms under laboratory conditions. Maximum mortality was recorded in 0.1% concentrations of crude rhizome extracts against all the instars. Ethyl acetate extractives were found to have good larvicidal effect only among all the solvent extractives. The LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values of 3^rd instars larvae were 17.25 ppm and 78.02 ppm respectively after 72 h of post exposure.The non-responsiveness of the non-target populations towards extractives was also noticed. The rhizome extracts of Curcuma aromatica can be used as an alternative larvicide against the JE vector Cx. vishnui group.

Curcuma aromatica; Rhizome; Culex vishnui; larvicidal activity