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Abstract Background The excessive use of synthetic insecticides is responsible for many cases of resistance in insects. Therefore, the use of natural molecules of ecological interest with insecticidal properties is an alternative approach to the use of synthetic insecticides. The aim of this study is to investigating the larvicidal and adulticidal activity and the chemical composition of the essential oil of Aeollanthus pubescens on the major malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. Methods Three reference strains of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (Kisumu, Kiskdr and Acerkis) were used in this study. The leaves of A. pubescens were collected in southern Benin. The standard World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for larvicide evaluation were used, and the chemical composition of the essential oil was analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Adult mosquitoes of each strain were exposed to pieces of net coated with the essential oil for 3 min using the WHO cone bioassay method. Probit regression analysis was used to determine the concentrations that would kill 50 and 95% of each test population (LC50, LC95) and the knockdown time for 50 and 95% of each test population (KDT50, and KDT95). The difference between the mortality–dose regressions for the different strains was analysed using the likelihood ratio test (LRT). The log-rank test was performed to evaluate the difference in survival between the strains. Results A total of 14 components were identified, accounting for 98.3% of total oil content. The major components were carvacrol (51.1%), thymyle acetate (14.0%) and ɣ-terpinene (10.6%). The essential oil showed larvicidal properties on the Kisumu, Acerkis and Kiskdr strains, with LC50 of 29.6, 22.9 and 28.4 ppm, respectively. With pieces of netting treated at 165 µg/cm2, the KDT50 of both Acerkis (1.71 s; Z = 3.34, P

Background and objectives: The present work aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of Aeollanthus pubescens essential oil, whose antimicrobial activity has been proven in vitro by previous studies and to examine the effects of this essential oil on the biochemical parameters (transaminases ALT and AST, urea, creatinine and cholesterol) and hematological and histological factors in Wistar rats subjected to this volatile oil. Methods: Nine male Wistar rats, 12 weeks old weighing more than 140 g were divided into three groups of three rats each; group one normal control rats; group two normal rats which received the extract of A. pubescens by gavage at a dosage of 2000 mg/kg of body weight and finally gropup three consisting of normal rats receiving the extract of A. pubescens by intramuscular injection at a dosage of 2000mg/kg body weight. The duration of the experiment was 14 days. Results: At the end of the study, the essential oil of A. pubescens did not cause any mortality in the experimental rats, which indicated that the extract did not exhibit acute toxicity at this dose. Biochemical and hematological analyses revealed no adverse effects (p>0.05) on the hepatic, renal, lipid and hematological parameters measured in these animals. Histological examination showed no alteration of the hepatic and renal structures. Conclusion: This oil can be considered generally recognized as safe at the experimental dosage and can be used in the fight against pathologies of bacterial origin.