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(1) Background: The control of mosquitoes with essential oils is a growing demand. (2) Methods: This study evaluated the novel larvicidal and adulticidal activity of fennel and green tea oils and their nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) against Culex pipiens (C. pipiens) in the laboratory, field conditions and evaluated their effect against non-target organisms. SLN type II nanoformulations were synthesized and characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential and transmission electron microscope. (3) Results: The synthesized NLCs showed spherical shaped, homogenous, narrow, and monomodal particle size distribution. The mortality percent (MO%) post-treatment (PT) with 2000 ppm for 24 h with fennel oil and NLC fennel (NLC-F) reached 85% (LC50 = 643.81 ppm) and 100% (LC50 = 251.71), whereas MO% for green tea oil and NLC green tea (NLC-GT) were 80% (LC50 = 746.52 ppm) and 100% (LC50 = 278.63 ppm), respectively. Field trial data showed that the larval reduction percent of fennel oil and NLC-F reached 89.8% and 97.4%, 24 h PT and the reduction percent of green tea oil and NLC-GT reached 89% and 93%, 24 h PT with persistence reached 8 and 7 days, for NLC-F and NLC-GT, respectively. The adulticidal effects showed that NLC-F and NLC-GT (100% mortality) were more effective than fennel and green tea oils (90.0% and 83.33%), with 24 h PT, respectively. Moreover, their reduction of adult density after spraying with LC95 X2 for 15 min, with fennel oil, NLC-F, and green tea oil, NLC-GT were 83.6%, 100%, 79.1%, and 100%, respectively, with persistence (>50%) lasting for three days. The predation rate of the mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, and the bug, Sphaerodema urinator, was not affected in both oil and its NLC, while the predation rate of the beetle, Cybister tripunctatus increased (66% and 68.3%) by green tea oil and NLC-GT, respectively. (4) Conclusions: NLCs nanoformulation encapsulated essential oils was prepared successfully with unique properties of size, morphology, and stability. In vitro larvicidal and adulticidal effects against C. pipiens supported with field evaluations have been performed using essential oils and their nanoformulations. The biological evaluation of nanoformulations manifested potential results toward both larvicidal and adulticidal compared to the essential oils themselves, especially NLC encapsulated fennel oil which had promising larvicidal and adulticidal activity.

Mosquitoes, one of the deadliest animals on the planet, cause millions of fatalities each year by transmitting several human illnesses. Synthetic pesticides were previously used to prevent the spread of diseases by mosquitoes, which was effective in protecting humans but caused serious human health problems, environmental damage, and developed mosquito pesticide resistance. This research focuses on exploring new, more effective, safer, and environmentally friendly compounds to improve mosquito vector management. Phytochemicals are possible biological agents for controlling pests and many are target-specific, rapidly biodegradable, and eco-friendly. The potential of extracts of Lantana camara, Melia azedarach, Nerium oleander, Ricinus communis, and Withania somnifera against 3rd instar Culex pipiens (Common house mosquito) larvae was evaluated. Methanol extracts had more toxic effects against Cx. pipiens larvae (95–100%, 24 h post-treatment) than aqueous extracts (63–91%, 24 h post-treatment). The methanol extracts of Nerium oleander (LC 50  = 158.92 ppm) and Ricinus communis (LC 50  = 175.04 ppm) were very effective at killing mosquito larvae, 24 h after treatment. N. oleander (LC 50  = 373.29 ppm) showed high efficacy in aqueous plant extracts. Among the different extracts of the five plants screened, the methanol extract of R. communis recorded the highest ovicidal activity of 5% at 800 ppm concentration. Total developmental duration and growth index were highly affected by R. communis and M. azedarach methanol extracts. In field tests it was clear that plant extracts decreased mosquito larval density, especially when mixed with mosquito Bti briquette, with stability up to seven days for N. oleander . GC–MS results showed that the methanol extract had a higher number of chemical compounds, particularly with more terpene compounds. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique was used to detect the existence of non-volatile polyphenols and flavonoids. All five methanol extracts showed high concentrations of active ingredients such as gallic acid, chlorogenic acid (more than 100 μg/ml) and the rosmarinic acid was also found in all the five extracts in addition to 17 active polyphenols and flavonoids presented at moderate to low concentrations. Molecular modeling of 18 active ingredients detected by the HPLC were performed to the vicinity of one of the fatty acid binding proteins of lm -FABP (PDB code: 2FLJ ). Rutin, Caffeic acid, coumaric acid and rosmarinic acid which presented densely in R. communis and N. oleander showed multiple and stable intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking interactions. The inhibition ability of the fatty acid binding protein, FABP4, was evaluated with remarkable receptor inhibition evident, especially with R. communis and N. oleander having inhibitory concentrations of IC 50  = 0.425 and 0.599 µg/mL, respectively. The active phytochemical compounds in the plants suggest promising larvicidal and ovicidal activity, and have potential as a safe and effective alternative to synthetic insecticides.

Developing and creating novel antibiotics is one of the most important targets in treating infectious diseases. Novel coumarins were synthesized and characterized using different spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Nuclear magnetic resonance 1 H and  13 C and mass spectroscopy (MS). All of the synthesized compounds have been tested for activity and sensitivity against the microbial strains of B. subtilis , S. aureus , E. coli , P. aeruginosa , S. typhi , and C. albicans . All compounds showed substantial results against the tested microbes except S. typhi , which was not affected in any way by these coumarins. Exceptional results were shown by compounds 4 , 6d , and 8b , which made them the best candidates for loading to the vicinity of nanostructure lipid carrier and coated by chitosan nanocapsule (NLC-Cs). Transmission electron microscope (TEM) confirmed spherical morphology with particles size less than 500 nm. Also, dynamic light scattering (DLS) were utilized to measure the average particle size (between 100 and 200 nm) and the stability assessed by zeta potential were found to be more positive confirming the chitosan encapsulation. Antimicrobial activity assessments were performed for both synthetic compounds and their NLCs analogues. The nanoformulation of 4 -NLC-Cs, 6d -NLC-Cs, and 8b -NLC-Cs manifested unique biological results, especially 8b -NLC-Cs, which revealed powerful effects over all the tested organisms including S. typhi . The increasing biological effect of the drugs in their nanoscale form is reflected in the increasing value of inhibition zone diameter and suppressing the value of MIC to reach record levels like 8b -NLC-Cs disclosed MIC = 0.48 and 0.24 µg/ml against S. aureus and C. albicans , respectively, by the mean 8b -NLC-Cs nanoformulation suppressed the MIC by 65 folds of its initial value before nano. In continuation, it was proven that the compounds 4 , 6d and 8b were found to make noticeable changes on the DNA-Gyrase levels with reduced IC 50 values particularly 8b showed excellent inhibitory effect with IC 50  = 4.56 µM. TEM was used to pursue the morphological changes that occur in bacterial cells of P. aeruginosa . The weakness of the cell wall in most bacterial cells treated with nanomaterials, 8b -NLC-Cs, has reached the point of the cell wall rupture and the cell components spilling out of the cells causing necrotic cell death.

(1) Background: Mosquito control with essential oils is a growing demand. This work evaluated the novel larvicidal and adulticidal activity of fennel and green tea oils and their Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) nanohybrid against Culex pipiens (Cx. pipiens) in both laboratory and field conditions and evaluated their effect against non-target organisms; (2) Methods: Two types of nanoclays, MgAl-LDH and NiAl-LDH were synthesized and characterized using PXRD, TEM and SEM, whereas their elemental analysis was accomplished by SEM-EDX; (3) Results: Mg and Ni LDHs were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The adsorption and desorption of active ingredients were conducted using LC MS/MS, with reference to the SEM-EXD analysis. The desorption process of MgAl-LDH intercalated green tea oil was conducted using ethanol, and reveled significant peaks related to polyphenols and flavonoids like Vanillin, Catechin, Daidzein, Ellagic acid, Naringenin, Myricetin and Syringic acid with concentrations of 0.76, 0.73, 0.67, 0.59, 0.52, 0.44 and 0.42 μg/g, respectively. The larvicidal LC50 values of fennel oil, Mg-LDH-F, and Ni-LDH-F were 843.88, 451.95, 550.12 ppm, respectively, whereas the corresponding values of green tea were 938.93, 530.46, and 769.94 ppm. The larval reduction percentage of fennel oil and Mg-LDH-F reached 90.1 and 96.2%, 24 h PT and their persistence reached five and seven days PT, respectively. The reduction percentage of green tea oil and Mg-LDH-GT reached 88.00 and 92.01%, 24 h PT and their persistence reached five and six days PT, respectively. Against adults, Mg-LDH-GT and Ni-LDH-GT were less effective than green tea oil as their LC95 values were 5.45, 25.90, and 35.39%, respectively. The reduction in adult density PT with fennel oil, Mg-LDH-F, green tea oil, and Mg-LDH-GT reached 83.1, 100, 77.0, and 99.0%, respectively, 24 h PT and were effective for three days. Mg-LDH-GT and Mg-LDH-F increased the predation Cybister tripunctatus (71% and 69%), respectively; (4) Conclusions: For the first time, Mg-LDH-GT and Mg-LDH-F was the best system loaded with relatively good desorption release to its active ingredients and significantly affected Cx. pipiens larvae and adults in both laboratory and field circumstances, and it could be included in mosquito control.

Disease-carrying insects transmit many of the most serious human diseases. After decades of repeated use of insecticides, all of these vector species have demonstrated the ability to develop resistance to insecticides. This has necessitated the development of more efficient and environmentally safe alternatives in the form of biopesticides. Plants contain a wide range of potential phytochemicals that target a specific target, are rapidly biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and have a variety of therapeutic effects, making them a treasure trove of biological materials. Moreover, this has led to the creation of highly effective new drugs. The present study aims to demonstrate the specific active components in Physalis peruviana calyces that were collected in two consecutive fruiting seasons through UPLC/MS and multivariate data analyses. The extracts were prepared using 70% methanol/water and petroleum ether for each season, then evaluated against disease-carrying vectors, Culex pipiens and Musca domestica . The UPLC/MS analysis resulted in the tentative identification of fifty-four secondary metabolites belonging mainly to flavonoids, phenolic acids, withanolides, triterpenoids, phenyl propanoids, and many others. After various intervals of exposure, plant extracts in this study showed high insecticidal activity against mosquito and housefly larvae, Cx. pipiens, and M. domestica . Data showed that P. peruviana methanol extract (POM) appeared to be most effective (MO%) against Cx. pipiens (LC 50  = 8.18 mg/ml) and M. domestica larvae (LC 50  = 9.87 mg/ml), 24 h post-treatment. The relative toxicity revealed that the old P. peruviana extract (POM) was the most effective in killing larvae, followed by the POP extract, while the modern extracts (PNM and PNP) were less successful on mosquito and housefly larvae. Thus, Physalis peruviana calyx extracts can act as a potential biocontrol agent against certain medical insects.

Vector-borne diseases continue to transmit many dangerous pathogens to humans. After decades of continuous use of insecticides, many types of vectors have shown the ability to build resistance to them. This has necessitated the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives in the form of bioinsecticides. Plants contain a wide range of phytochemicals with specific targeting, rapid biodegradability, environmental sustainability and a variety of medicinal properties, making them a valuable source of biologicals. Moreover, this has led to the development of highly effective new drugs. This study aimed to identify the active ingredients in Ceratonia siliqua L., gathered from two consecutive fruiting seasons which were then divided into C. siliqua  fresh (CSF), dry (CSd), and old (stored) stem (CSO) extracts  Ceratonia siliqua . Metabolomics profiling was performed using UPLC/MS and multivariate data analysis. The UPLC/MS study resulted in the tentative identification of 54 secondary metabolites. These compounds included flavonoids, phenolic acids, withanolides, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, etc. CSd showed the highest number of identified components followed by CSO and CSF. The % identification was nearly equal in the negative ion mode for the three extracts while for the positive ion mode it followed the order of CSF > CSd > CSO. After several exposure periods, the plant methanol extracts in this research showed significant insecticidal activity against mosquito larvae, Cx. pipiens , and housefly larvae M. domestica . (CSd) demonstrated the highest insecticidal activity (100 MO%) against Cx. pipiens (LC 50  = 0.09 and 0.07 mg/ml) following 24- and 48-hour post-treatments at 1.0 mg/ml. The (CSF) was the most effective on M. domestica larvae (LC 50  = 2.32 and 1.80 mg/ml), 24 and 48 h post-treatment with 25 mg/ml concentration. Both CSd and CSF extracts were the most effective at killing mosquito and house fly larvae, followed by the CSO extract. Therefore, C. siliqua extracts may serve as an effective bio-agent for specific vector-borne infection control.

The present cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and potential risk factors associated with Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) disease in cattle and buffaloes in Egypt, to model the potential risk factors associated with the disease using logistic regression (LR) models, and to fit the best predictive model for the current data. A total of 740 blood samples were collected within November 2012-March 2013 from animals aged between 6 months and 3 years. The potential risk factors studied were species, age, sex, and herd location. All serum samples were examined with indirect ELIZA test for antibody detection. Data were analyzed with different statistical approaches such as Chi-square test, odds ratios (OR), univariable, and multivariable LR models. Results revealed a non-significant association between being seropositive with BVDV and all risk factors, except for species of animal. Seroprevalence percentages were 40% and 23% for cattle and buffaloes, respectively. OR for all categories were close to one with the highest OR for cattle relative to buffaloes, which was 2.237. Likelihood ratio tests showed a significant drop of the -2LL from univariable LR to multivariable LR models. There was an evidence of high seroprevalence of BVDV among cattle as compared with buffaloes with the possibility of infection in different age groups of animals. In addition, multivariable LR model was proved to provide more information for association and prediction purposes relative to univariable LR models and Chi-square tests if we have more than one predictor.

Essential oils are natural plant products that are very interesting, as they are important sources of biologically active compounds. They comprise eco-friendly alternatives to mosquito vector management, particularly essential oil nanoemulsion. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of 16 selected essential oils (1500 ppm) in controlling mosquitoes by investigating their larvicidal effects against the larvae and adults of the West Nile virus vector Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae); the best oils were turned into nanoemulsions and evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. The results show that honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium) and patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) essential oils were more effective in killing larvae than the other oils (100% mortality) at 24 h post-treatment. The nanoemulsions of honeysuckle (LC50 = 88.30 ppm) and patchouli (LC50 = 93.05 ppm) showed significantly higher larvicidal activity compared with bulk honeysuckle (LC50 = 247.72 ppm) and patchouli (LC50 = 276.29 ppm) oils. L. caprifolium and P. cablin (100% mortality), followed by Narcissus tazetta (97.78%), Rosmarinus officinalis (95.56%), and Lavandula angustifolia (95.55%), were highly effective oils in killing female mosquitoes, and their relative efficacy at LT50 was 5.5, 5.3, 5.8, 4.1, and 3.2 times greater, respectively, than Aloe vera. The results of the field study show that the honeysuckle and patchouli oils and their nanoemulsions reduced densities to 89.4, 86.5, 98.6, and 97.0% at 24 h post-treatment, respectively, with persistence for eight days post-treatment in pools. Nano-honeysuckle (100% mortality) was more effective than honeysuckle oils (98.0%). Our results show that honeysuckle and patchouli oils exhibited promising larvicidal and adulticidal activity of C. pipiens.

Controlling mosquitoes naturally and safely to avoid mosquito-borne diseases is an urgent need. Plant oils are a promising source for mosquito control. The larvicidal effects of 18 oils were evaluated against the early 4th larvae, Culex pipiens. All oils showed larvicidal activity (55 to 100%, 24 h post-treatment with 2000 ppm for 24 h). The efficacy of oils was classified as the highly effective group (H group) inducing 95-100% mortalities, including six oils: Azadirachta indica, Cyperus alternifolius, Lupinus luteus, Lactuca sativa, M. alternifolia, and Persea americana (MO% = 98.33, 100, 98.33, 98.33, 100, and 95%, respectively). Their LC50 values were 588.31, 496.96, 677.45, 611.60, 445.28, and 646.34 ppm, respectively; whereas their LC99 values were 1601.14, 1331.06, 1953.29, 1667.27, 1342.56, and 1725.94 ppm, respectively. The moderately effective group (83-93% mortalities) included Syzygium aromaticum, Capsicum annuum, Aloe vera, Nigella sativa, Phyllanthus emblica, Citrullus colocynthis, Daucus carota, Carthamus glaucus, Ocimum basilicum, and Triticum aestivum. Their LC50 values ranged from 762.39 (S. aromaticum) to 1043.59 ppm (T. aestivum). The least effective group included P. armeniaca (55%) and Allium cepa (78%). The novel larvicidal activity of seven oils (C. glaucus, C. alternifolius, D. carota, L. sativa, M. alternifolia, P. armeniaca and T. aestivum) against larvae of Cx. pipiens was reported for the first time in this investigation. Our findings demonstrate the potential of M. alternifolia, and C. alternifolius followed by A. indica, L. luteus, or L. sativa as the most potent larvicides that could be used for integrated mosquito control programs.

Essential oils are natural plant products that are very interesting, as they are important sources of biologically active compounds. They comprise eco-friendly alternatives to mosquito vector management, particularly essential oil nanoemulsion. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of 16 selected essential oils (1500 ppm) in controlling mosquitoes by investigating their larvicidal effects against the larvae and adults of the West Nile virus vector Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae); the best oils were turned into nanoemulsions and evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. The results show that honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium) and patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) essential oils were more effective in killing larvae than the other oils (100% mortality) at 24 h post-treatment. The nanoemulsions of honeysuckle (LC[sub.50] = 88.30 ppm) and patchouli (LC[sub.50] = 93.05 ppm) showed significantly higher larvicidal activity compared with bulk honeysuckle (LC[sub.50] = 247.72 ppm) and patchouli (LC[sub.50] = 276.29 ppm) oils. L. caprifolium and P. cablin (100% mortality), followed by Narcissus tazetta (97.78%), Rosmarinus officinalis (95.56%), and Lavandula angustifolia (95.55%), were highly effective oils in killing female mosquitoes, and their relative efficacy at LT[sub.50] was 5.5, 5.3, 5.8, 4.1, and 3.2 times greater, respectively, than Aloe vera. The results of the field study show that the honeysuckle and patchouli oils and their nanoemulsions reduced densities to 89.4, 86.5, 98.6, and 97.0% at 24 h post-treatment, respectively, with persistence for eight days post-treatment in pools. Nano-honeysuckle (100% mortality) was more effective than honeysuckle oils (98.0%). Our results show that honeysuckle and patchouli oils exhibited promising larvicidal and adulticidal activity of C. pipiens.