Abstract:
The upsurge in the prevalence of resistance to many synthetic antifungal agents and incidence of multidrug resistant mosquito-borne diseases has spurred scientists to research for new plant-based antifungal and mosquitocidal gents. Mosquitoes transmit serious human diseases that cause millions of deaths every year. This research investigated the mosquitocidal and antifungal activities of Mormodica foetida. Mosquitoes in the larval stage are attractive targets for insecticides. Botanicals contain various phytochemicals that are medicinally useful. In traditional medicine, people may discover their activity and prescribe them to their clients without prior knowledge of an effective dose. M. foetida, presents such potential of high medicinal and insecticidal value. Leaves from this plant are traditionally used to treat symptoms of malaria in parts of East Africa therefore it was screened for mosquitocidal and antifungal activities in this study. The plant leaves were collected in Kericho County, Kenya and extracted using decoction method. Liquid–liquid extraction of the resulting extract in Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) was done. IR, MS, and NMR were used to identify the compound in the extracts as an alkaloidal derivative of zeatin riboside. The antifungal activity of the water extract of M. foetida was investigated by disc diffusion assay method in vitro against Candida albicans, giving a zone of inhibition diameter (ZID) of 0.4mm. The DMSO extract gave higher % mortality values than the water extract on mosquito larvae. Supa kill was used as a reference in this study. The ground leaf powder was finally formulated into drop pills. Our data suggest that an alkaloidal derivative of zeatin riboside in DMSO extract of M. foetida has potential to be used in an ecofriendly approach for the control of mosquito infestations while its water extract is a potential fungicide.
