A green alternative: Evaluation of Solanum torvum (Sw.) leaf extract for control of Aedes aegypti (L.) and its molecular docking potential

Abstract

Due to the unavailability of effective vaccines and treatments, mosquito-borne diseases continue to pose a threat to global public health. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets and room sprays have both been successfully treated with plant-based biopesticides to protect people from mosquito bites. The extensive use of chemical pesticides is known to cause serious harm to human and animal health. From this point of view, the demand for plant extracts has recently increased worldwide. The aim of the current study was to determine the effectiveness of a Solanum torvum (Sw.) leaf extract as a larvicidal, adulticidal and in silico study against the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The plant extract from S. torvum was obtained using a simple method. Preliminary qualitative analysis shows the presence of steroids, saponins, phenol, flavonoids, tannins, and anthraquinones in the aqueous leaf extract of S. torvum. A total, 15 compounds were identified using GC–MS. The larvicidal activity, observed during 24-h and 48-h exposure cycles of 4^th instar larvae, exhibits a maximum (100 ​%) mortality rate at 200 ​μg/ml. The adulticidal activity, observed during the 24-h exposure cycle of adult mosquitoes, exhibits a maximum (92 ​%) mortality rate at 2 ​mg/mL. The molecular docking observation of Protease Sterol Carrier Protein-2 (IPZ4) was noted campesterol had the most favourable docking score with a value of −10. This finding suggests that campesterol may have a high affinity for the target molecule under study. Based on the results, the current study suggests that the use of S. torvum leaf extract could serve as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical insecticides in controlling mosquito populations and controlling mosquito bone diseases.