Abstract

Mosquito repellent activity of Calotropis gigantea (Apocynaceae) flower extracts against the filarial vector Culex quinquefasciatus

Hygeia.J.D.Med.5 (2) 56-62

Dhivya R*, Manimegalai K

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore-641043, Tamil Nadu,India.

 Article history: Received: 12 July 2013,   revised: 21 July 2013, accepted: 10 August 2013, Available online: 3 October 2013

Article ID-Hygeia.J.D.Med/109/13.

ABSTRACT

Plan: To assess the repellent efficacy of the flower extracts of Calotropis gigantea against Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito and to screen the bioactive compounds present in theflower extract.

Methodology: The flower extracts of Calotropis gigantea were extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol and the efficacy of the extracts as repellent were assessed on three day blood starved female Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito. The repellent study was following the method of WHO(1996).

Outcome: The results suggested thatflower ethanol extract of Calotropis gigantea showed a higher repellency on the adult of female Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito than the other two extracts.The repellent activity was found to be dose dependent and the percentage of protection was found to be directly proportional to the concentration ofextract. The results of phytochemical screening showed the presence of bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, tannins, phenol, flavonoids, sterols, anthraquinone, proteins and quinones in the flower extract. It may be concludedfrom the result that ethanol extract of Calotropis gigantea flower was effective in mosquito vector control and has an excellent potential in controlling the mosquito.

Keywords: Culex quinquefasciatus,flower extracts, repellent activity, Calotropis gigantea

Dhivya R*, Manimegalai K. Mosquito repellent activityof Calotropis gigantea (Apocynaceae)flower extracts against the filarial vector Culex quinquefasciatus. Hygeia.J.D.Med. 2013; 5(2): page.56-62.Available from   http://www.hygeiajournal.com / Article ID- Hygeia.J.D.Med/109/13.