Encapsulation of neem and karanja oil mixture for synergistic as well as larvicidal activity for mosquito control

Abstract

This study presents larvicidal effect of neem (<i>Azadirachta indica</i>) and karanja (<i>Pongamia glabra</i>) oil encapsulated calcium alginate beads (individuals and combination) against mosquito species (<i>Aedes aegypti</i>). Studies were conducted by combining these two oils with and without converting into alginate based encapsulation formulation. Combination (30% neem oil and 70% karanja oil) was found to be more effective then any other combination. The combination of neem and karanja oil recorded an LC₅₀of 3.1 g/l against <i>A. aegypti</i>. Mortality also increases in terms of concentration of active ingredients (20-77%) after 48 h. FTIR studies indicate that there is no chemical interaction between oils or oil and polymer.