Development of an environmentally friendly formulation of silk fibroin combined with fatty acid from Astrocaryum murumuru Mart. effective against Aedes aegypti larvae

Abstract

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a vector of several diseases, including dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus. Synthetic insecticides such as chlorpyrifos and chlorothalonil have been used to control this vector, despite causing damage to both the environment and humans. Research into natural active compounds with a low environmental impact is therefore required. The present study developed an environmentally friendly formulation of silk fibroin (SF) combined with fatty acid esters [ethyl (FAEE-SF), propyl (FAPE-SF) and butyl (FABE-SF)] from A. murumuru fat, which was effective against larvae of the Ae. aegypti vector. The FABE-SF nanoparticle induced a higher mortality rate in Ae. aegypti larvae after 48 h (LC50 = 21.35 μg/mL). The stability of the nano was monitored for 21 days, and FABE-SF exhibited greater stability throughout this period, with average particle, zeta and PDI values of around 217.5 ± 0.85 nm, −25.6 ± 3.24 mV and 0.338 ± 0.01, respectively. This is the first work of its type to identify the larvicidal activity of fatty acid esters from A. murumuru, combined with silk fibroin, against Ae. aegypti.