The principal vector of many prevalent tropical and sub tropical vector-borne communicable diseases like dengue, chikungunya, malaria, visceral leishmaniasis, Japanese encephalitis and filariasis across the globe are mosquitoes. They cause a number of deaths in the whole world every year. Therefore efficacious mosquito control is required in India and all over the world because due to the development of resistance against synthetic insecticides has caused alarming threats to mosquito control. Therefore, biological control is an alternative technique for the most challenging environmental quandaries and could provide environmentally safe cost-efficacious solution. The aim of the present study is to record the impact of the fruit extracts of Lycopersicon esculentum against first, second, third and fourth larval stages of dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, under the laboratory conditions. Mortality was visually examined for 24, 48 and 72 hours of exposure. The fruit extract exhibited promising larvicidal activity exhibiting 96.4% mortality, achieved at 40 ppm concentration level of fruit extract after 72 hours of exposure in the 1st instar and 2nd larvae of Aedes aegypti. The negative control showed much less mortality. Thus the present results of this study propose the crude fruit extract of Lycopersicon esculentum could possibly be utilized as an impeccable eco-amicable, safe and good biodegradable insecticide against the larvae of Aedes aegypti.

Lycopersicon esculentum, Aedes aegypti, Larvicidal activity, mortality, LC50, probit analysis

In the present study the effect of Lycopersicon esculentum fruit extract against dengue vector, Aedes aegypti was found to be highly effective as high mortality rates were observed probably due to the presence of secondary metabolites such as lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene, ascorbic acid and polyphenols including quercetin, kaempferol, naringenin which either in single form or in amalgamated form with other are responsible compounds for sundry larval death. The present investigation revealed that the fruit of Lycopersicon esculentum has a potential source of serviceable drugs due to the presence of phytoextracts like phytoene, lycopene having the highest concentration about 85%, phytofluene, ascorbic acid and pro-vitamin A, carotenoid β-carotenoid, polyphenols including quercetin, kaempferol, naringenin and can be utilized in the treatment of many diseases. The future scope studies are required to isolate the active component from the crude plant extract for opportune mosquito control management.

Priyanka Spring, Sasya Nagar and Pradeep Kumar Shukla (2022).Effect of Crude Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Fruit Extract Against the Larvae of Dengue Vector – Aedes aegypti. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(2): 403-413.