Ovicidal, larvicidal, and adulticidal activities of Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck against dengue vector, Aedes aegypti (L.)

Recent studies regarding the harmful effects of synthetic larvicides initiated the need to investigate for unconventional measures that are environmentally-safe and target-specific against Aedes aegypti larvae. Thus, the main objective of the study was to evaluate the ovicidal, larvicidal, and adulticidal toxicity of the hexane extract of Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck peels against dengue vector, A. aegypti. Results revealed that the hexane extract of C. grandis peel from Davao exhibited the highest lethal concentration against 3rd and 4th instar larvae with an LC50 and LC90 of 1.11 mg/L and 3.32 mg/L, respectively. Moreover, the knockdown effect of the hexane extract of C. grandis peels on adult female A. aegypti produced 50 % knockdown within 11.50 min and 90 % knockdown within 28.79 min. The test mosquitoes' mortality was 100 % after 24 h. Lastly, the ovicidal activity of the hexane extract against the eggs of A. aegypti exhibited an LC50 of 13.84 mg/L and LC90 of 25.30 mg/L. The remarkable effects exhibited by C. grandis peels indicate its great potential to be a more sustainable and environmentally-safe plant-based control for the proliferation of the dengue vector, A. aegypti.