Design and Development of Lemongrass Oil Effervescent Tablet to Control the Mosquitoes in Early Stages

Abstract

Introduction: Mosquitoes, the buzzing bane of our existence, pose a significant threat to human health, transmitting diseases like dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. So, the effective early-stage mosquito control is crucial for prevention. While existing control methods offer varying degrees of success, they often come with drawbacks like environmental and human toxicity or limited range. But the plant metabolites or secondary metabolites are more effective for killing of mosquito larva and also, they are safer to humans and environment.

Objectives: This study designed and developed to create a lemongrass oil effervescent tablet to control the mosquito in early stages with eco-friendly. Lemongrass oil dispersed effervescent tablet is able to self-disperse and release the lemongrass oil uniformly, which makes it effective in controlling larvae with no toxic to environment and humans.

Methods: In this study, attempts have been made to develop effervescent tablet, containing lemongrass oil as a larvicidal activity. Upon contact with water, these tablets would rapidly dissolve, releasing the encapsulated oil as a fine mist. This targeted release mechanism aims to maximize mosquito exposure while minimizing environmental impact. Factors like tablet composition, and dissolution time will be ensuring the mosquito larvicidal action. In vitro assays (larvicidal assay) will assess the larva killing efficacy of the released oil against mosquito larva and also evaluated for thickness, hardness, diameter, weight variation and friability of tablet.

Results: The formulated lemon grass oil effervescent tablet shows immediate and sustainable larvicidal activity and after 24 hr also tablet maintained larvicidal activity, but mortality time is increased. So, once we are adding tablets to the water, the chance of mosquitoes breeding in this water is very low. Tablet have high strength and resistance to crumbling or breakage under stress but it easily dissolved in water.

Conclusions: This tablet will be very effective for larval control after application. The tablet can be used in stagnant water like water in bottles, used tires etc around the residential areas after rainy season or some drainage problems which will serve as mosquito breeding place. The tablet is safe for humans, animals and the environment. So, effervescent tablet can be used a very good formulation for fast and mosquito control.