ABSTRACT

The wide-reaching Culex pipiens has long been a public apprehension. Combating serious vector-borne diseases requires the use of insecticides effective against both humans and the ecosystem. The wide variation of botanicals that nature has to offer tempts researchers to study their interactions with the insects. Environment-friendly insecticides light up hope for maintaining ecological balance and pollution mitigation. This study aimed at evaluating the insecticidal, oxidative, and genotoxic activities of eucalyptus and clove oils on C. pipiens adults and larvae.

The chemical composition of essential oils was determined via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The bioassay was performed, with eucalyptus oil showing the highest toxicity index (LC₅₀ of 0.108% after 24 h in adults and LC₅₀ of 0.014% after 48 h in larvae).

Fumigation effects showed Eucalyptus to have higher toxicity than clove oil, with an LC₅₀ of 0.108% and 0.014% after 24 h and 48 h, respectively, in adults and larvae. The effect of tested oils on the activities of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase varied with increasing oil concentrations. The genotoxic effects of the tested oils were dose-dependent, with an increase of all comet parameters compared with those in the control.

The tested oils showed encouraging potentiality as green insecticides in combating C. pipiens.

Keywords: Culex pipiens, eucalyptus oil, clove oil, GPx, Catalase, SOD, comet assay