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Larvicidal Potential of Fungi Based Silver Nanoparticles Against Culex Quinquefasciatus Larvae (II and III Instar)

Brindha Durairaj, Santhoshkumar Muthu, and Priya Shanthi

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using Penicillium notatum and further characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometer, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to support the nanoparticles biosynthesis by fungi. The synthesized AgNPs were further investigated for its antibacterial and larvicidal activity in mosquitoes. AgNPs treatment caused considerable mortality rate against 2nd and 3rd instar larvae of Culix quinquefasciatus after 24 hours exposure. However, higher concentration of AgNPs was required to induce mortality against 3rd instar than 2nd instar. In general, lipid and protein contents were found to be reduced in larval tissues after AgNPs treatment; whereas level of carbohydrate was found to be increased. AgNPs exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella shigella. Characterization studies reveal that Penicillium notatum biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles by reducing silver nitrate into nanosized silver ions. It can be concluded that rapid synthesis of fungi based silver nanoparticles will be helpful in developing a biological process for mosquito control using nanotechnology.