Pune, Oct 27 (PTI) A scientific study has highlighted the potential of a silk-based nanocomposite material containing silver nanoparticles to kill mosquito larvae, offering a possible new avenue for controlling dengue at its source.
The research, recently published by scientist Dr Dinesh Amalnerkar and academician Dr Ravindra Chaudhari and their team in the journal, ‘Nature Scientific Reports’, found that a film made from silk fibroin embedded with silver nanoparticles achieved 100 per cent mortality among the tested larval stages and pupae of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito primarily responsible for transmitting dengue.
Amalnekar, a senior nanotechnologist, is president of the city-based Maharashtra Academy of Sciences, while Chaudhari is a professor at a college in Junnar town of Pune district.
The study comes at a time when Pune is witnessing a rise in cases of the mosquito-borne disease.
The researchers used silk fibroin, a natural protein obtained from silkworm cocoons, as a matrix to incorporate silver and gold nanoparticles. The resulting nanocomposite films were tested against different developmental stages of Aedes aegypti.
The silver-based nanocomposite achieved 100 per cent mortality across all tested larval stages and pupae under the experimental conditions. The gold-based material recorded mortality ranging from 86 per cent to 98 per cent, according to the study.
The researchers also examined the environmental implications of the material. Immobilising nanoparticles within the silk-based matrix could help control their release into the surrounding environment, potentially reducing the risks associated with freely dispersed nanoparticles.
The study reported no noticeable effects on the tested non-target fish species under the laboratory conditions used. However, further research would be required to establish the material’s safety and effectiveness under diverse field conditions, it said.
The approach is based on the principle that eliminating mosquitoes before they emerge as adults can help interrupt their breeding cycle. Unlike adult mosquito control, larval control targets breeding sites before the insects become capable of spreading infection.
The findings do not establish that the nanocomposite is ready for routine municipal use. Its effectiveness in real-world conditions, long-term environmental safety, cost and suitability for treating different types of water-storage sites would need to be assessed before large-scale deployment, noted the researchers.
They maintained the silk-based nanocomposite approach could have potential for future mosquito-control applications, subject to further evaluation.
The findings assume significance as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has reported a surge in dengue cases, with the civic administration intensifying measures to check mosquito breeding across the city.
Pune municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram recently reviewed the situation during a meeting at Dr Naidu Infectious Diseases Hospital and directed civic departments to strengthen preventive measures to curb the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.
The PMC recorded 2,291 dengue cases between January 1 and October 20 this year, according to civic data.
Civic teams have inspected around 14 lakh homes and more than 28.31 lakh water-storage containers this year. Mosquito larvae were detected in 18,885 containers across approximately 13,000 homes, prompting notices to property owners and the collection of penalties.
The administration has identified stagnant water at construction sites, waste dumps and residential premises as key breeding grounds. Water storage necessitated by supply interruptions and water collected in plant pots have also contributed to the problem.
Against this backdrop, the study by researchers from Pune describes a potential alternative approach to conventional mosquito-control methods.
The PMC has intensified anti-larval operations, fogging in dengue hotspots and awareness campaigns. The civic body has urged citizens to cover water-storage containers, prevent water stagnation and observe a weekly dry day to reduce mosquito breeding. PTI SPK RSY
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