Neem-Borne Molecules as Eco-Friendly Control Tools Against Mosquito Vectors of Economic Importance

In the near future, a number of molecules employed in insect pest control may lose their efficacy. Pesticide resistance is an increasing problem of public health importance, and more environmental-friendly control approaches against arthropod pests of medical and veterinary relevance are urgently needed. The seed oil of neem, Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae), contains more than 100 biologically active compounds. Many formulations derived from them showed biotoxicity, antifeedancy and repellent activity against several important mosquito species, including malaria, dengue, zika and filariasis vectors. In this review, we focus on the effectiveness of neem-borne mosquitocides, with the goal to develop an ideal mosquitocide, that should be effective, eco-friendly and cheap, being preferentially derived from botanical by-products (e.g. neem cake) easily produced by countries with limited industrial facilities.