Larvicidal Property of Dalandan (Citrus aurantium) Ethanolic Leaf Extract on Aedes aegyptiLarvae

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Dengue fever is a severe, potentially fatal, disease caused by dengue viruses, which is carried and transmitted by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, through biting. One way of preventing it is by using larvicides that target larvae in the breeding habitat before they can mature into adult mosquitoes and disperse. Dalandan is widely scattered in cultivation in the Philippines. The leaf of the said plant was proven to possess limonoids -are saidto have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-malarial and anti-viral properties. The objective of this study is to investigate larvicidal property of Dalandan (Citrus aurantium) ethanolic extract on Aedes aegypti larvae.

METHODS

Researcher used the two-group design wherein the control group was the ethanol only and the experimental was the ethanol with 100% limonoids. In this design, there is one experimental group and one control group. In addition, parallel group design was used in this study to identify if there will be significant difference between the control group and the experimental group at different concentration.

RESULTS

The first set-up, which was a two-group design, the control group ethanol, killed all 15 larvae in all three replicates. Moreover, for the experimental group, which was the ethanol with 100%, limonoids, the same number of larvae was killed. The second set-up was the parallel group design. The data was mainly gathered to find out if there is a significant difference between the commercialized larvicide and the ethanol with limonoids that has 25%, 75% and 100%concentration.The Commercialized larvicide killed an average of 14.33 larvae in each of the three replicates. Meanwhile, for the Ethanol with 75% limonoids, it has an average of 11.67. Then for the 25% concentration, it has an average of 8.33. Lastly, for the 100% concentration, it has an average of 15.

DISCUSSIONS

The researcher was able to extract Dalandan (Citrus aurantium) leaves using maceration procedure. The 100% ethanolic extract of Dalandan can kill Aedes aegypti larvae because of its component limonoids and ethanol, which have anti-larva properties. In comparing the commercialized larvicide to the ethanolic extract, there is no significant difference between them except for the 25% extract. Similarly, for the 100% and 75% concentrations of the extract, there were also no significant difference. In general, the ethanolic extract of Dalandan, can also be an effective larvicide against Aedes aegypti.