Development of an Eco-Friendly Nanogel Incorporating Essential Oil as a Larvicidal Agent Against .

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Arboviruses, transmitted by mosquitoes like , pose significant public health challenges globally, particularly in tropical regions. The rapid spread and adaptation of viruses such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya have emphasized the need for innovative control methods. Essential oils from plants, such as (Gardner) Sch.Bip. (), have emerged as potential alternatives to conventional insecticides.

METHODS

In this work, we developed an eco-friendly nanogel using a low-energy, solvent-free method, incorporating the copolymer F127 and Carbopol 974p, enriched with a high concentration of essential oil from (EO). The resulting nanogel displayed excellent physical stability, maintained under varying temperature conditions. Characterization techniques, including FTIR and DLS, confirmed the stable incorporation of EO within the nanogel matrix.

RESULTS

The in vitro assays against larvae revealed that at 500 μg/mL, the mortality rates were 96.0% ± 7.0 after 24 h and 100.0% ± 0.0 after 48 h. The positive control group treated with temefos, achieved 100% mortality at both time points, validating the experimental conditions and providing a benchmark for assessing the efficacy of the nGF2002 nanogel.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that nGF2002 demonstrates a pronounced concentration-dependent larvicidal effect against , offering an innovative and sustainable approach to arbovirus vector control.