Laboratory evaluation of the effects of Portunus pelagicus extracts against Culex pipiens larvae and aquatic non-target organisms

Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) is a pathogen-bearing mosquito found worldwide. Marine organisms are a promising source to search for mosquito-killing substances. The potential of the different solvent extracts of Portunus pelagicus was examined using Cx. pipiens 3rd instar. The bio-safety evaluation was carried out using Danio rerio (zebrafish) and Artemia nauplii (brine shrimp). The larvicidal activity of Portunus pelagicus (blue crab) was found in chloroform extracts against Cx. pipiens 3rd instars, with LC50 value of 109.11 and LC90 value of 88.44 ppm after 48 h of treatment. A Biosafety assessment of P. pelagicus methanol extract on D. rerio and A. nauplii revealed that the extract had toxic effects on A. nauplii but was safe for D. rerio. However, the non-toxicity of the extract towards D. rerio may be misleading; further investigation on other aquatic organisms is required. Thus, the extract should be used with caution.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).