Minor compounds of Piper nigrum L. and development of technological powder to control Aedes aegypti
Aedes aegypti, Piper nigrum L., spray dryer, arboviroses
Globally distributed, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is one of the most important vectors today, transmitting diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and urban yellow fever. It is estimated that around half of the global population is in places with the possibility of contracting dengue fever, as the lack of basic sanitation and the crowds in large cities contribute to the proliferation of the insect. To control these arboviruses, vector control is recommended. This study aims to develop a technological powder, produced from ethanolic extract of Piper nigrum L. fruits known as black pepper, which has already demonstrated potential larvicidal activity on Aedes aegypti. For these studies, high-performance liquid chromatography analyzes coupled to a mass spectrometer were carried out on extracts produced from leaves and fruits with different polarities, which made it possible to record different compounds present in black pepper. Furthermore, the hydroalcoholic extract of the fruits was produced on a larger scale and underwent a fractionation process leading to the isolation of a compound called HPLC5 ((2E,4E,11Z)-N-(4-methylpentyl)exadeca-2,4, 11-trienamide). There are no reports in the literature of known biological activity of the isolated compound. All fractions and extracts produced from leaves and fruits collected in Pará were tested on L3 larvae of Aedes aegypti at 50 µg/mL. Of the 30 samples tested, only 9 showed 100% mortality within 24 hours. Finally, technological powder was produced by incorporating the extract using a spray dryer, resulting in a homogeneous powder with a concentration of 69mg/g of extract and a yield of 30%. To complete the proposed work, it is intended to chemically explore the fractions obtained, quantify the extract in the technological powder and evaluate its larvicidal activity in the laboratory and similar field.