Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #318800
Research Project: Biting Arthropod Surveillance and Control

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: Green-synthesized silver nanoparticles as a novel control tool against dengue virus (DEN-2) and its primary vector Aedes aegypti

Author
item SUJITHA, VASU - Bharathiar University
item MURUGAN, KADARKARAI - Bharathiar University
item PAULPANDI, MANICKAM - Bharathiar University
item PANNEERSELVAM, CHELLASAMY - Bharathiar University
item SURESH, UDAIYAN - Bharathiar University
item RONI, MATHATH - Bharathiar University
item NICOLETTI, MARCELLO - University Of Rome Sapienza
item HIGUCHI, AKON - National Central University - Taiwan
item MADHIYAZHAGAN, PARI - Bharathiar University
item SUBRAMANIAM, JAYAPAL - Bharathiar University
item DINESH, DEVAKUMAR - Bharathiar University
item VADIVALAGAN, CHITHRAVEL - Bharathiar University
item CHANDRAMOHAN, BALAMURUGAN - Bharathiar University
item ALARFAJ, ABDULLAH - King Saud University
item MUNUSAMY, MURUGAN - King Saud University
item Barnard, Donald
item BENELLI, GIOVANNI - University Of Pisa

Submitted to: Parasitology Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/25/2015
Publication Date: 6/12/2015
Citation: Sujitha, V., Murugan, K., Paulpandi, M., Panneerselvam, C., Suresh, U., Roni, M., Nicoletti, M., Higuchi, A., Madhiyazhagan, P., Subramaniam, J., Dinesh, D., Vadivalagan, C., Chandramohan, B., Alarfaj, A.A., Munusamy, M.A., Barnard, D.R., Benelli, G. 2015. Green-synthesized silver nanoparticles as a novel control tool against dengue virus (DEN-2) and its primary vector Aedes aegypti. Parasitology Research. doi: 10.1007/s00436-015-4556-2.

Interpretive Summary: The Yellow Fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) is the primary vector of dengue in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Conventional control of this mosquito relies on the use of synthetic chemical insecticides, which are expensive to manufacture and have adverse non-target effects. As an alternative to synthetic chemical insecticides, Indian and ARS scientists studied the biological activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized using Moringa oleifera seed extract against mosquito larvae and pupae and determined their effect on dengue serotype DEN-2 virus. Silver nanoparticles reduced DEN-2 vero-infecting cell populations by 80% after 6 h and were highly toxic to mosquito larvae (LD50: 10 ppm) and pupae (LD50: 22 ppm). This study showed that silver nanoparticles manifest biological activity against DEN-2 serotype virus and suggests that silver nanoparticles may be useful as a novel control agent for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Technical Abstract: Dengue is an arthropod-borne viral infection mainly vectored through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. Recently, its transmission has strongly increased in urban and semi-urban areas of tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide, becoming a major international public health concern. There is no specific treatment for dengue. Its prevention and control solely depends on effective vector control measures. In this study, we proposed the green-synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) as a novel and effective tool against the dengue serotype DEN-2 and its major vector Aedes aegypti. AgNP were synthesized using the Moringa oleifera seed extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. AgNP were characterized using a variety of biophysical methods including UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and sorted for size categories. AgNP showed in vitro antiviral activity against DEN-2 infecting vero cells. Viral titer was 7 log10 TCID50/ml in control (AgNP-free), while it dropped to 3.2 log10 TCID50/ml after a single treatment with 20 µl/ml of AgNP. After 6 h, DEN-2 yield was 5.8 log10 PFU/ml in the control, while it was 1.4 log10 PFU/ml post-treatment with AgNP (20 µl/ml). AgNP were highly effective against the dengue vector A. aegypti, with LC50 values ranging from 10.24 ppm (I instar larvae) to 21.17 ppm (pupae). Overall, this research highlighted the concrete potential of green synthesized AgNP in the fight against dengue and its primary vector A. aegypti. Further research on structure–activity relationships of AgNP against other dengue serotypes is urgently required.