Larvicidal Efficiency of Certain Seed Extracts Against Anopheles Stephensi,with Reference to Azadirachta indica

The toxicity of seed extracts of three Indian medicinal plants, Azadirachta indica, Momordica charantia and Ricinus communis, was evaluated for their larvicidal efficacy against Anopheles stephensi. The methanol extract of A. indica exhibited potent larvicidal activity with LC₅₀ 15.25 and 12.70 ppm and LC₉₀ 46.79 and 45.56 ppm after 24 and 48 hrs, respectively, followed by methanol extract of R. communis with LC₅₀ 54.95 and 23.06 ppm and LC₉₀ 251.03 and 144.54 ppm after 24 and 48 hrs of post treatment, respectively. In case of M. charantia, the carbon tetrachloride extract possess potential larvicidal efficacy with LC₅₀ values 87.00 and 57.53 ppm and LC₉₀ 301.20 and 262.21 ppm after 24 and 48 hrs of exposure period. The results indicate that A. indica methanol extract was most potential mosquito larvicide and can be use as alternate potential to synthetic insecticides.