Abstract
The present study was designed aiming at finding novel botanicals for controlling the vector population. Objective was to evaluate the larvicidal and pupicidal efficacies of crude and solvent extracts of Michelia champaca seed against the notorious dengue vector Aedes albopictus. 0.5% concentration of the crude extractive and 40 ppm concentration of ethyl acetate extractive were enough to execute 100% of larval mortality of all the instars after 72 h of exposure and the LC(50) and LC(90)values (95% confidence level) of ethyl acetate extractive were 0.9880 ppm and 36.0491 ppm. In case of pupicidal bioassay, 100% mortality was observed at 200 ppm of ethyl acetate extract. Through TLC techniques, the bioactive compounds were isolated, which caused remarkable larval toxicity at 15 ppm concentration. Three-way factorial ANOVA analysis showed different concentrations, time intervals, and instars revealed a significant difference in larval death. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence several important functional groups. Presence of methyl 5,12-octadecadienoate and ethyl 9cis,11trans-octadecadienoate were ascertained by GC-MS analysis. The said bioactive compounds showed very low toxicity in non-target organisms such as damselfly (Ischnura sp.) and water bug (Diplonychus sp.) Thus, proclaiming the potentialities of Michelia champaca seed extracts as larvicidal and pupicidal agents against Ae. albopictus.