Green synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Urtica dioica and its Larvicidal Activity against Culex pipiens

Background: People may contract debilitating and life-threatening diseases due to bites from infected mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). As mosquito vectors are solely responsible for transmitting diseases such as malaria,dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis and lymphatic filariasis. One group of vectors, the mosquitoes in the Culex pipiens complex, play key roles in the transmission of a range of pathogens including several viruses such as West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viruses, Avian malaria, Filarial worms, Rift Valley fever virus, Sindbis virus and Setariasis. Various methods have been introduced to control of mosquito populations. Recently, the use of nanomaterials for this purpose has been considered.Objectives: This ressearch was evaluated to study the efficiency of silver nanoparticles for the control of Cx. pipiens complex.Materials and Methods: In order to green synthesize of silver nanoparticles, 10% of an aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaves was treated with an aqueous solution 1 mM AgNO3. Formation of a brown–yellow solution indicated that silver ions reduced to stable silver nanoparticles. For bioassay tests, the late 3rd instar larvae of Cx. pipiens were tested in 4 batches of 25 larvae, with a final total of 100 larvae for each concentration. The desired concentrations of Silver nanoparticles such as 100, 50, 10, 1 and 0.1 ppm-mg/L were prepared in a 250 mL beaker using deionized water and the desired Silver nanoparticles, for a total of 5 concentrations, to assess larval mortality (0–100%) within 24 h. Control and untreated larval groups received solvent-deionized water and deionized water only, respectively. The percentage mortality was reported from the average of triplicates. Mortality data were observed and corrected mortality obtained by applying Abbott’s formula (Abbott, 1925). LC50 and LC90 confidence intervals were determined by the probit analysis method.Results: Data were evaluated silver nanoparticles were highly effective against the 3rd instar larvae of Culex pipiens pallens after 24 of treatment. Culex pipiens had LC50 and LC90 values were read. The larvicidal activities of the silver nanoparticles were varied and the LC50 and LC90 values were 23.83 and54.24 ppm.Conclusion: Overall, the findings of the study suggest that the use of گیاهextractmediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles can be used for controlling vector mosquitoes.

Keywords:

silver nanoparticles , larvicidal activity , Culex pipiens , Urtica dioica.