Studies on the Phytochemical Profile of Ocimum basilicum var. minimum (L.) Alef. Essential Oil, Its Larvicidal Activity and In Silico Interaction with Acetylcholinesterase against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is an important transmitter of diseases in tropical countries and controlling the larvae of this mosquito helps to reduce cases of diseases such as dengue, zika and chikungunya. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the larvicidal potential of the essential oil (EO) of Ocimum basilicum var. minimum (L.) Alef. The EO was extracted by stem distillation and the chemical composition was characterized by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS and GC-FID). The larvicidal activity of EO was evaluated against third instar Ae. aegypti following World Health Organization (WHO) standard protocol and the interaction of the major compounds with the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was evaluated by molecular docking. The predominant class was oxygenated monoterpenes with a concentration of 81.69% and the major compounds were limonene (9.5%), 1,8-cineole (14.23%), linalool (24.51%) and methyl chavicol (37.41%). The O. basilicum var. minimum EO showed unprecedented activity against third instar Ae. aegypti larvae at a dose-dependent relationship with LC50 of 69.91 (µg/mL) and LC90 of 200.62 (µg/mL), and the major compounds were able to interact with AChE in the Molecular Docking assay, indicating an ecological alternative for mosquito larvae control.

Larvicidal Activity of Ethanol Extract of Cinnamomum sintoc Blume Bark against Aedes aegypti: Role of the Extract as an Acetylcholinesterase Enzyme Inhibitor

“…L has the potential as an Aedes sp larvicide with LC 50 and LC99 of 1040 ppm and 2439 ppm, respectively. Research by Botelho et al 12 also found that Ocimum basilicum var. minimum (L.) Alef.…”

Evaluation of larvicidal activity of Ocimum basilicum L. essential oil on Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti L.

“…Moreover, a pertinent investigation revealed that the key components of the essential oil, including limonene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, and methyl chavicol, exhibit larvicidal properties against Ae. aegypti larvae and demonstrated their capacity to interact with AChE (Botelho et al, 2022).…”

Chemical compositions, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and mosquito larvicidal activity of Ocimum americanum L. and Ocimum basilicum L. leaf essential oils

“…Aedes aegypti L. is responsible for transmitting arboviruses that cause diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and zika in tropical regions [13][14][15]. Rapid urbanization, a lack of infrastructure, and poor sanitation are ideal circumstances for the spread of this female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is resistant to pesticides and commercialized repellents [13,15]. Furthermore, the drawbacks of chemical pesticides, such as pollutants and harm to non-target species, have limited their widespread usage [16].…”