Plant-Based Bioinsecticides for Mosquito Control: Impact on Insecticide Resistance and Disease Transmission

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Mosquito-borne diseases cause millions of deaths each year. There has been an increase in the use of insecticides to combat disease transmission caused by mosquitoes. Synthetic insecticides have been effectively used to protect humans from mosquito bites through insecticide-treated mosquito nets, fabrics, and indoor sprays. Despite the considerable progress made in reducing mosquito borne diseases, extensive usage of insecticides has caused serious health problems to humans and animals, insecticide resistance or insensitivity in mosquitoes, and environmental damage. A success in the fight with mosquito disease transmission can only be accomplished by adequate and effective implementation of insecticide resistance monitoring and management programs globally. For this purpose, extensive research focuses on exploring insecticide resistance mechanisms in mosquitoes and how they get resistant to chemical applications over time. The search also focuses on novel compounds that are more effective, safer, and eco-friendly for improved management of mosquito vectors. In this review, we provide the current literature on the synthetic insecticides and how mosquitoes develop resistance to them, with further emphasis on bioinsecticides that could replace conventional synthetic insecticides. In this context, plant-based compounds are explained in detail with their potential applications to control mosquitoes. ABSTRACT: The use of synthetic insecticides has been a solution to reduce mosquito-borne disease transmission for decades. Currently, no single intervention is sufficient to reduce the global disease burden caused by mosquitoes. Problems associated with extensive usage of synthetic compounds have increased substantially which makes mosquito-borne disease elimination and prevention more difficult over the years. Thus, it is crucial that much safer and effective mosquito control strategies are developed. Natural compounds from plants have been efficiently used to fight insect pests for a long time. Plant-based bioinsecticides are now considered a much safer and less toxic alternative to synthetic compounds. Here, we discuss candidate plant-based compounds that show larvicidal, adulticidal, and repellent properties. Our discussion also includes their mode of action and potential impact in mosquito disease transmission and circumvention of resistance. This review improves our knowledge on plant-based bioinsecticides and the potential for the development of state-of-the-art mosquito control strategies.