Thymol antimicrobial in corn starch can help fight mosquito-borne diseases
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the major vector for many urban arboviruses, which can cause serious conditions such as dengue fever, Zika virus, Chikungunya, and yellow fever. Now, researchers have developed a cheap but effective larvicide using cornstarch.
A team of researchers at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Sao Paulo State in Brazil has created microcapsules using cornstarch for storage and controlled release of active compounds to kill larvae of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Published in the journal Industrial Crops and Products, the study aims to create an affordable but potent way to kill mosquito larvae, preventing further outbreaks of many mosquito-borne diseases worldwide. Dengue fever, for instance, a viral illness caused by a virus carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito is endemic in more than 128 countries, with as much as 3.9 billion people at risk.
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