Larvicidal activity of endophytic fungal extract of Cochliobolus spicifer (Pleosporales: Pleosporaceae) on Aedes caspius and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae)
Abutaha, Nael . 2015
Endophytic microorganisms are fungi or bacteria
which live inside plant tissues or organs, without causing
them any harmful symptoms. Indeed, since many are
also able to produce substances of biotechnological interest,
they may protect the plant from insect attacks and diseases.
The date palm, Phoenix dactylifera (Linnaeus) is a
tree which has been known in Saudi Arabia for thousands
of years as a staple food. The aim of the present work was
to investigate the inhibitory activity of crude extracts of the
fungal endophyte Cochliobolus spicifer (Nelson), isolated
from the date palm, against Aedes caspius (Pallas) and
Culex pipiens (Linnaeus) larvae. In addition, histological
changes were determined in the digestive system of treated
third instar larvae. The data showed that C. spicifer interfered
with the developmental cycle of the mosquito, and
had its strongest toxic effect (with 100 % mortality in third
instar larvae) at concentrations of 300 ppm. This compound
did not show toxicity to zebrafish. The third instar larvae
treated with the active fraction showed cellular destruction
and disorganization, cell spacing, and vacuolization of epithelial
cells in small regions of the midgut. To the authors’
knowledge, this is the first study to report the isolation
of endophytic fungi C. spicifer from date palm trees (P.
proved to be a strong candidate for a natural, safe, and stable
phytolarvicidal to be used in population control of Ae.
caspius and Cx. pipiens. dactylifera). The endophytic fungal extract of C. spicifer
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