Mosquitoes resisting synthetic insecticide

BARDHAMAN, India, April 8 (UPI) -- Scientists from the University of Burdwan in India say mosquitoes that spread disease are increasingly becoming resistant to synthetic insecticides.

But the researchers suggest berries of a weed common to India, Solanum villosum, might have the potential for keeping mosquitoes at bay. S. villosum -- a member of the nightshade family -- is known for its medicinal properties and commonly used as an ayurvedic herb.

The scientists used juice and extracts from the berries of S. villosum on a species of mosquitoes (Stegomyia aegypti) that can spread a number of viruses, including dengue fever and yellow fever. They discovered S. villosum was particularly effective at eliminating S. aegypti larvae.

Although it was not as potent as a chemical insecticide such as Malathion, the authors suggest plant extracts from S. villosum have the potential for use in stagnant water where the mosquitoes breed.

The research by Nandita Chowdhury, Anupam Ghosh and Goutam Chandra appears online in the BioMed Central journal Complementary and Alternative Medicine.