Vol. 10, Issue 6, Part A (2023)

In this Research, we present a green synthesis method for selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using Typhonium trilobatum leaves and assess their potential applications. By utilizing different parts of T. trilobatum leaves as bioreductive agents, our research focuses on environmentally sustainable, safe, and socially responsible processes for the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles. Various biophysical techniques, including UV-Vis, FTIR, FESEM, TEM, EDAX, and XRD were employed to characterize the green-synthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). The toxicity of these biosynthesized SeNPs was evaluated against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti in its larval and pupal stages, indicating promising results at low concentrations (2 to 10 ppm). The study also examined the adulticidal activity, revealing significant mortality in adult Ae. aegypti following exposure to the biosynthesized SeNPs. Moreover, we exposed Ae. aegypti eggs to varying concentrations of leaf extract and biosynthesized SeNPs for 24 hours. After the treatment period, we transferred the eggs individually into distilled water cups and assessed their hatch rates 48 hours later. Moreover, both the T. trilobatum leaf extract and SeNPs demonstrated exceptional results in preventing the hatching of Ae. aegypti eggs aged 12 to 18 hours, achieving 100% mortality. Furthermore, the study investigated the predation effectiveness of Poecilia reticulata guppy fish on Ae. aegypti larvae in I to IV instar stages. The results demonstrated that biosynthesized SeNPs displayed significant larvicidal activity and enhanced the predatory potential of the guppy fish P. reticulata. These findings suggest that T. trilobatum leaf extract synthesized SeNPs as an eco-friendly strategy for controlling mosquito vectors during their early developmental stages.