Fatal Food: Silver-Coated Grain Particles Display Larvicidal Activity in Culex quinquefasciatus

Mosquitoes pose a significant risk to millions of people worldwide since they can transmit pathogens. Current methods to control mosquito populations include the use of synthetic pesticides. Nanotechnology may be a solution to develop new mosquito control. However, one barrier to expanding the impact of nanomaterials is the ability to mass-produce the particles. Here, we report a novel hybrid particle synthesis combining micro- and nanoparticles using the coprecipitation technique with the potential for mass production. These particles may have applications as a mosquito larvacide. The particles reported here were designed using a microparticle zein polymer as the core and a nanoparticle silver as the active ingredient. The hybrid NPs reported here targeted a late-stage mosquito larvae and that resulted in a high larval mortality concentration (1.0 ppm, LC90) and suppression of pupal emergence at 0.1 ppm. This research demonstrates the efficacy of a plant-based core with a metal-based AI coating (AgNPs) against larval mosquitoes.

Automated summary

Mosquitoes are a significant threat to millions of people worldwide due to their ability to transmit pathogens. Current methods of controlling mosquitoes involve the use of synthetic pesticides. However, nanotechnology may offer a potential solution for developing new mosquito control methods. This research presents a novel hybrid particle synthesis technique that combines micro- and nanoparticles using the coprecipitation method, with the potential for mass production. These particles have the potential to be used as mosquito larvicides.