Phytochemical Profile and Mosquito Larvicidal Activity of the Essential Oil from Aerial Parts of Satureja bachtiarica Bunge Against Malaria and Lymphatic Filariasis Vectors

Abstract

Mosquitoes play an important role in transmission of large number of diseases including malaria, filariasis and arboviral diseases. Increasing application of synthetic insecticides may be resulted in resistant to insecticides. Furthermore, it may have adverse effects on the environment and human health. Currently, one of the most effective alternative approaches under the biological control programs is using of natural larvicidal agents derived from plants. The larvicidal properties of essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of an indigenous plant, Satureja bachtiarica was evaluated against two mosquito vector, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus. In addition, the analysis of essential oil was investigated by Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Forty-one compounds, representing 98.42 of the essential oils have been identified. The main constituents were carvacrol (22.66), p-cymene (15.89), borneol (14.05 ), 1,8-cineole (10.45) and thymol (7.27). Five different concentrations of essential oil were evaluated against the late 3(rd) and early 4(th) instars larvae of An. stephensi and Cx. quinquefasciatus. The LC50 and LC90 values against An. stephensi larvae were 24.27 and 54.24 ppm and for Cx. quinquefasciatus were 44.96 and 114.45 ppm after 24 hours of exposure, respectively. In conclusion, results of study clearly indicated that the essential oils of S. bachtiarica possessed remarkable larvicidal properties and could serve as an alternative to synthetic insecticides for control of mosquito larvae.