The Use of Piper amalago var. amalago as an Eco-Friendly Insecticide Synergist in the Management of Aedes Aegypti

Chelsea Frank; Dwight Robinson; Rodolphe Poupardin; William Irvine; Mark J. I. Paine; Rupika Delgoda; Sheena Francis

doi:10.3791/68723

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Research Article

The Use of Piper amalago var. amalago as an Eco-Friendly Insecticide Synergist in the Management of Aedes Aegypti

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DOI:

10.3791/68723

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October 24th, 2025

Chelsea Frank¹^,² , Dwight Robinson²^,³ , Rodolphe Poupardin⁴ , William Irvine¹ , Mark J. I. Paine⁵ , Rupika Delgoda¹ , Sheena Francis¹^,³

¹Caribbean Centre for Research in Biosciences, Natural Products Institute, University of the West Indies, ²Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, ³The Mosquito Control Research Unit, Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, ⁴Cell Therapy Institute, Paracelsus Medical University, ⁵Vector Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Summary

Ethanolic extracts of Piper amalago var. amalago demonstrate synergistic effects when used with deltamethrin against Ae. aegypti. The demonstrated synergistic activity is the result of its active ingredient, piperine, which is an inhibitor of CYPs known to be upregulated in mosquitoes that show resistance to insecticides.

Abstract

Resistance to insecticides challenges the management of Ae. aegypti, the main vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses in the Caribbean and Latin America. The development of novel vector management strategies is critical to reducing the transmission of its diseases. Piper spp., traditionally used for their culinary properties, have demonstrated insecticidal activity. The study explores extracts of Piper amalago var. amalago, a variety native to the Caribbean and Latin America, as insecticide synergists, compounds that are moderately toxic to insects but enhance toxicity when used in combination with synthetic insecticides.

The toxicity of deltamethrin on field-collected Ae. aegypti using the CDC bottle bioassay was assessed. After confirming resistance, ethanol or hexane extracts were prepared from the aerial parts of Piper amalago var. amalago. The extracts were applied to subsequent lab-reared Ae. aegypti generations. Of the fractions prepared, the stem-ethanol extract was the most potent, with LD₅₀ values of 0.007 mg/mg (plant extract/female Ae. aegypti body weight). The stem-ethanol extract demonstrated a synergistic effect with deltamethrin using a modified CDC bottle bioassay. Mortality increased from 22% ± 0.42 % with deltamethrin alone, at the dose of 10 µg active ingredient in 30 min to 96% ± 0.17 % with the application of stem-ethanol extract (LD₂₅= 2.2 μg/mg) followed by deltamethrin at the stated dose and time. GC-MS studies showed piperine to be the most abundant compound in the prepared extracts. The study demonstrates the use of Piper amalago var. amalago as an effective synergist against Ae. aegypti.

Introduction

Aedes aegypti is an important anthropophilic mosquito vector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)¹. Several factors that include access to adequate clean water supply, quality of public health services, changes in weather patterns, human movement, and trade have facilitated not only the distribution of this opportunistic vector, but also the distribution of the pathogens transmitted by the species²^,³ across the region¹^,⁴. The vector indiscriminately oviposits in moisture-collecting receptacles in and around human dw....