Plant proteins as natural, biodegradable, low cost larvicides against mosquitoes

Abstract

Vectors spread infectious and deadly diseases among human beings and animals. The best-known vector of many infectious diseases is mosquito. Some other vectors are flies, ticks, fleas, aquatic snails and triatomine bugs. Mosquitoes are the major group of arthropods which causes millions of deaths every year. Mosquitoes breed in the water and the larval stage is attractive target for botanical insecticides to deal with them in their habitat. Plant contains many phytochemicals which act as mosquito repellents, larvicidal agents, insect growth regulators and transmission blocking sources. There are many reports available showing larvicidal activities of plant crude extracts and some compounds isolated from crude extracts. But there is very little information available about plant proteins as larvicides. The present study shade light on mosquito larvicidal role of crude proteins extracts, some toxic proteins (lectins, RIPs, proteinases inhibitors) derived from different plants and plant-based expression system for transmission blocking vaccine. This review may straighten out the complete investigations of the potency of anti-larvicidal properties of plant derived proteins and these proteins could be targeted for drug formation, natural bio-insecticide and transmission blocking agents for the control of vector borne diseases.