Original Article ADULTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF BOTANICAL OILS BY IMPREGNATED PAPER ASSAY AGAINST CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS SAY M. RAMAR 1,3* , S. IGNACIMUTHU 1 , P. MANONMANI 2 , K. MURUGAN 3 1 Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai-34, Tamil Nadu, India, 2 Department of Biotechnology, PRIST University, Vallam, Thanjavur, 3 Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar, University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641046, India Email: ramareri@gmail.com Received: 19 Oct 2016 Revised and Accepted: 31 Mar 2017 ABSTRACT Objective: The present study was undertaken with the aim of finding out the efficacy of essential oils (EOs) as anti-mosquito agents for commercial purposes. Plant source insecticides as an alternative to chemical insecticide, this study were evaluated to assess the knock-down and adulticidal prospective of the essential oils against Culex quinquefasciatus. The plant essential oil is largely cultivated throughout India and in all Tropical countries. Methods: The selected botanical essential oils were procured from commercial producers of plant essential oils and aromatic substances were used in this study. Knock-down and Adulticidal bioassay was performed according to WHO protocol. A single dose of the essential oils was used in the preliminary screening. 20 adult mosquitoes (3-5 d old glucose fed mosquitoes) were exposed on treated paper for one hour and knocked down and live mosquitoes were counted at 5 minute intervals. Results: Among the twenty three oils tested, 100% knock-down and adult mortality was recorded at 10%/cm 2 dose of calamus, camphor, cinnamon, citronella, clove, eucalyptus, lemongrass, pine, thyme and tulsi oils respectively. At 10 % concentration, clove oil (KT50 =1.8 and KT90 = 2.03 min) was found to be the most potential treatment. After 15 min exposure period clove oil registered the lowest knock-down dose which was calculated as (KD50 =1.8 %/cm 2 and KD90 =11.2 %/cm 2 ). The lower and upper 95 % confidence limits for clove oil were calculated as 0.2 and 4.2 min respectively. Conclusion: From the results it can be concluded that the adult of the Cx. quinquefasciatus were susceptible to the essential oils. Such findings would be useful in promoting research aiming at the development of new agent for mosquito control on basis of chemical compounds from indigenous plant sources as an alternative to chemicals. Keywords: Essential oils, Screening, Filaria Mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, Knock-down-Adulticidal © 2017 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ijpps.2017v9i5.15764 INTRODUCTION Mosquito diseases, such as malaria, Japanese encephalitis, filariasis, dengue and yellow fever a major source of illness and death worldwide, particularly in tropical and subtropical area [1]. The Culex quinquefasciatus is a major public health problems in India and filariasis is potentially risk of infection [2] These diseases affect the health and quality of life of millions of people in Worldwide [3]. An estimated 120 million people in tropical and subtropical areas of the world are infected with lymphatic filariasis [4]. Moreover, mosquitoes cause allergic responses in humans that include local skin and systemic reactions [5]. Such serious diseases are becoming increasingly difficult because of the high rate of reproduction and development of resistance to insecticides in mosquitoes [6]. The use of chemical control of mosquitoes is remaining as a main part of integrated vector management [7-8]. According to Word Health Organization pesticide, the major insecticides used against mosquitoes are pyrethroids and organophosphates [7-8]. Although, factors including the development of resistance to insecticides are leading to morbidity and mortality due to malaria and other vector-borne diseases. Insect resistance has been reported to chemical class of insecticide used in vector control programs and insect growth regulators [9]. The search for alternative pesticides and control measures that pose no risk or posing minimal risk to human health and the environment is of great interest from the preventive medicine point of view [10]. Pyrethrin-based mosquito liquid formulations are widely used in many countries, especially in the house hold of rural population. Interest in botanical pesticides revived during recent years, because of the deleterious effects of synthetic insecticides, including lack of selectivity, impact on the environment and the emergence and spread of pest resistance. The naturally occurring pesticides appear to have a promising role in the development of future commercial pesticides for safety of the environment and public health [11-12]. Essential oils from plant species, celery (Apiumgraveolens), caraway (Carum carvi), zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria), long pepper (Piper longum) and Chinese star anise (Illicium verum), were studied adulticidal activity against mosquito vectors [13]. Adulticidal activity of five essential oils such as Citrus sinensis, Mentha pipreta, Carvocryl oil, Citronela oil and citral oil against Cx. Quinquefasciatu [14]. The fumigant toxicity of essential oils from 15 species of African plants against Anopheles gambiae in the laboratory conditions [15]. Plant essential oils are volatile substances found in a various plants. This oil isolated from plant sourse, but thus oils are consisting of mixtures of many compounds. Botanical based oils were the first preservatives used by man, their natural state within plant tissues and as oils obtained by water distillation. The oils composed by isoprenoid compounds, mainly mono-and sesquiterpenes are the carriers of the smell found in aromatic plants [16]. The uses of commercial, essential oils are used in four primary ways: pharmaceuticals, flavor enhancers in many food products, odorants in fragrances and insecticides. At present, evaluation of essential oils against mosquitoes and isolation, identification and development of natural products from them are under the focus of numerous research programmes around the globe. There is a renewed interest in plant essential oils products as sources of new insect controlling agents, because they may be biodegradable to nontoxic compounds, thus minimizing the accumulation of harmful residues, leading them to be more environmentally friendly compared to synthetic compounds [17]. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ISSN- 0975-1491 Vol 9, Issue 5, 2017