Larvicidal activity of steroidal saponins from Dracaena arborea on Aedes albopictu

Developing of new and improved mosquito control methods, that are economically sustainable and effective, is a critical requirement in the management of vector-borne epidemic diseases. Aedes albopictus is one of the main vectors of various important pathogens in the tropics, which now have the potential to also spread in temperate regions, owing to the environmental and climate changes in act. We report about the isolation of steroidal saponins from Dracaena arborea, evidencing their larvicidal activity against A. albopictus by biological essays. In specific, spiroconazole A demonstrated the best larvicidal activity, showing LT50 value of 57.23 hours at 25 ppm. We finally discuss about the value of this finding.