Laboratory and field evaluation of mosquitocidal effect of birbira (Mellitia ferruginea) seed extract against Anopheles arabiensis in Ethiopia

Abstract

Development of effective botanical mosquitocidal compounds is essential to combat increasing resistance rates and concern for the environment. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the larvicidal, pupicidal and adulticidal potential of the methanolic extracts from “Birbira” (M. ferruginea) plant seeds against the primary malaria vector: Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes under laboratory and simulated field condition. The ripen “Birbira” seeds were collected from the area around Jimma University and shade dried at room temperature. The dried plant seed materials were powdered using pestle and mortar. From each sample 100 gram of the sieved powder of the plant materials were macerated in 600ml of methanol for 72h in the ratio of 1:6. The extracts were evaporated to dryness in rotary evaporator to obtain 52.5 gram of residue. The residue was dissolved separately in acetone for stock solution from which different test concentrations were prepared through serial dilution for the bioassay test. The LC50 values of the extracts for the larvicidal and pupicidal test of the laboratory Strain of An. arabiensis were 14.97 and 29.07 mg/L whereas the LC50 values for the field population of An. arabiensis under simulated field condition were 31.04 and 54.58mg/L respectively. The LC50 values for laboratory Strain of the adulticidal test were 46.03, 34.86 and 29.77mg/cm2 at 1hour, 2hours and 3 hours exposure time respectively and the corresponding LC50 values for the wild adults were 68.80, 56.57 and 44.55 mg/cm2 at 1hour, 2hours and 3 hours exposure. The LC90 values for laboratory Strain of larvae and pupae were 36.65 and 79.99mg/L and 82.78 and 148.25 mg/L for the field population under simulated field test respectively. From the findings it can concluded that the extracts from the seeds of “Birbira” (M. ferruginea) showed potential mosquitocidal effect against An. arabiensis mosquito larvae, pupae and adult. This suggested that the plant seed extract may be further used as a component in integrated vector management program.