Current prospects of green-metallic nanoparticles in mosquito control: A brief review

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) transmit many pathogens and parasites such as viruses, bacteria, protozoans and nematodes, which cause serious diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya fever, encephalitis and filariasis. Traditionally, control of these mosquitoes has relied on the use of several chemical insecticides. These insecticides have been used to control various life stages of mosquitoes, but some of these insecticides are causing harm to the environment, human, plants and animals which in turn cause environmental pollution. Presently, nanoparticles are thought to be used as an effective insecticide. Most of the nanoparticles having insecticidal properties are prepared through green synthesis method, where extracts from plants, fungi, bacteria, and even dead insects have been efficaciously employed to decrease or kill mosquito population. Biological and green synthesis methods have resulted in the production of less toxic or nontoxic and sustainable nanoparticles for further application in mosquito control. The evaluation of green chemistry or biological techniques for synthesizing metal NPs from plant extracts and other biological organisms has drawn the attention of many researchers. This review explores the usefulness of green synthesized metal nanoparticles on larvae, pupae and adults of mosquitoes.