Biocontrol of mosquito vectors through herbal-derived silver nanoparticles: prospects and challenges

Mosquitoes spread several life-threatening diseases such as malaria, filaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile fever, chikungunya, and yellow fever and are associated with millions of deaths every year across the world. However, insecticides of synthetic origin are conventionally used for controlling various vector-borne diseases but they have various associated drawbacks like impact on non-targeted species, negative effects on the environment, and development of resistance in vector species by alteration of the target site. Plant extracts, phytochemicals, and their nanoformulations can serve as ovipositional attractants, insect growth regulators, larvicides, and repellents with least effects on the environment. Such plant-derived products exhibit broad-spectrum resistance against various mosquito species and are relatively cheaper, environmentally safer, biodegradable, easily accessible, and are non-toxic to non-targeted organisms. Therefore, in this review article, the current knowledge of phytochemical sources exhibiting larvicidal activity and their variations in response to solvents used for their extraction is underlined. Also, different methods such as physical, chemical, and biological for silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) synthesis, their mechanism of synthesis using plant extract, their potent larvicidal activity, and the possible mechanism by which these particles kill mosquito larvae are discussed. In addition, constraints related to commercialization of nanoherbal products at government and academic or research level and barriers from laboratory experiments to field trial have also been discussed. This comprehensive information can be gainfully employed for the development of herbal larvicidal formulations and nanopesticides against insecticide-resistant vector species in the near future. Graphical abstract.