TITLE:
Bio-Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Leaf Extract of Pongamia pinnata as an Effective Larvicide on Dengue Vector Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae)
AUTHORS:
Bannoth Reddya Naik, G. Swarna Gowreeswari, Yuvo Singh, R. Satyavathi, S. S. Daravath, P. Ramachandra Reddy
KEYWORDS:
Pongamia pinnata, Aedes albopictus, Silver Nanoparticle, Dengue, 9-Octadecenoic Acid (Z),
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Entomology,
Vol.2 No.2,
April
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: The frequent cases of dengue incidences are leading cause of illness and death in urban areas and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) is a primary vector for Dengue transmission in India. Synthesis of leaf mediated silver nanoparticles especially with Pongamia pinnata is a potential substitute for the existing organophosphorus insecticides like Tenophos, malathion and fenthion etc., for mosquito control programme. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectrum, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Analysis of TEM showed that the synthesized silver nanoparticles are in spherical shape with average size of 20 nm. Further the XRD analysis confirms the nano-crystalline phase of silver with face centred cubic (FCC) crystal structure. GC-MS analysis elucidated the presence of two active ingredients, such as 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z) and n-hexadecanoic acid, which are the prominent substances considered as larvicide. Larvae were exposed to varying concentrations of plant extracts and synthesized silver nanoparticles for 24 hours. From the results, it is found that plant extracts showed moderate larvicidal effects but, the synthesized silver nanoparticles had found to be toxic to larvae at LC50 (0.25 ppm) and LC90 (1 ppm).