# Larvicidal Activity of Essential Oil, Hydrolate, and Aqueous Extract from Leaves of Myrciaria floribunda Against Aedes Aegypti

## TL;DR

This study explores the larvicidal effects of extracts from Myrciaria floribunda leaves against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which spread diseases like dengue and Zika.

## Contribution

The study identifies the larvicidal potential of essential oil, aqueous extract, and rutin from Myrciaria floribunda against Aedes aegypti larvae.

## Key findings

- The essential oil had an LC50 of 201.73 ppm against Aedes aegypti larvae.
- Rutin showed the highest larvicidal activity with an LC50 of 22.46 ppm.
- Hydrolate from the leaves had no larvicidal effect.

## Abstract

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the vector responsible for the transmission of important arboviruses such as dengue fever, Chikungunya, Zika virus, and yellow fever. These diseases affect millions of people and exert impacts on healthcare systems throughout the world. Given the increasing resistance to synthetic insecticides, essential oils from plants constitute an ecologically viable alternative for the control of this vector. The aim of the present study was to investigate the larvicidal activity of the essential oil (EO), aqueous extract, rutin, and hydrolate from the leaves of Myrciaria floribunda against Aedes aegypti larvae in the initial L4 stage. The yield of EO was 0.47%. Thirty-seven chemical constituents were identified and quantified using chromatographic methods. The major constituents were (E)-caryophyllene (27.35%), 1,8-cineole (11.25%), β-selinene (4.92%), and α-muurolene (4.92%). In the larvicidal tests, the lethal concentration (LC50) was 201.73 ppm for the essential oil, 15.85% for the aqueous extract, and 22.46 ppm for rutin. The hydrolate had no larvicidal activity. The compounds that exhibited larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti constitute a promising option for the development of natural formulations to diminish the propagation of this vector.