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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Synthetic insecticides are widely used against mosquitoes, but misuse has led to environmental and health concerns. Plant-derived alternatives, such as essential oils, seem to offer a safer option, minimizing these problems without compromising efficacy. In this study, we evaluated the essential oil from Siparuna gesnerioides (Kunth) A.DC., a Neotropical plant, for its effectiveness in controlling Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus) larvae, a major vector of human diseases. We first assessed the phytochemistry of the essential oil and used in silico approaches to predict potential physiological targets of its larvicidal activities. Selectivity assays were conducted with Belostoma anurum (Herrich-Schäffer), a non-target predatory water bug. The major constituents of S. gesnerioides essential oil were γ-elemene (45.8%) and germacrene D (43.8%). This essential oil effectively killed larvae from both susceptible and resistant mosquito strains (LC50 = 0.070 μg/mL). However, such concentrations killed more than 80% of B. anurum nymphs. Molecular modeling suggested that the essential oil major components (γ-elemene and germacrene D) interact stably with mosquito acetylcholinesterases (AChEs), indicating a potential mechanism of action. Our results reinforce the potential of Siparuna essential oils in mosquito control. Nevertheless, the non-selective impact on mosquito predators, as seen with S. gesnerioides, highlights the need for caution in field applications.

Details

Title
Siparuna gesnerioides and Siparuna guianensis Essential Oils in Aedes aegypti Control: Phytoanalysis, Molecular Insights for Larvicidal Activity and Selectivity to Non-Target Organisms
Author
Montaño-Campaz, Milton L 1 ; Oliveira, Eugenio E 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Toro-Restrepo, Beatriz 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bacca Tito 4 ; Feuillet-Hurtado Carolina 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Afanador Javier G. Mantilla 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Moreira Renata Pereira Lopes 6 ; Mendes, Luiza Alves 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Aguiar Raimundo Wagner S. 7 ; Dias, Lucimar G 3 

 Centro de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional de Colombia—BIOS, Ecoparque Los Yarumos, Manizales 170002, Caldas, Colombia; [email protected], Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil, Grupo de Investigación Bionat, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales 170001, Caldas, Colombia 
 Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil 
 Grupo de Investigación Bionat, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales 170001, Caldas, Colombia 
 Facultad de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué 730001, Tolima, Colombia 
 Research Institute in Microbiology and Agroindustrial Biotechnology, Universidad Católica de Manizales, Carrera 23, 60–63, Manizales 170002, Caldas, Colombia 
 Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil 
 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Gurupi 77402-970, TO, Brazil 
First page
1322
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
22237747
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3203217578
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.