WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A recent study found that hemp leaf extract, containing the active ingredient cannabidiol, or CBD can eliminate mosquito larvae within 48 hours.
The research showed that CBD can effectively kill two different strains of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, - one resistant to conventional insecticides and another one was non-resistant.
'Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world, mainly because as adults they serve as vectors of disease,' said Erick Martinez Rodriguez, lead author of the study. 'It's very important to be able to control these pests at an early stage, when they are at the most vulnerable.'
The study was inspired by previous research from Ohio State University, which identified natural mosquito-repellent properties in plants from Madagascar.
To extract the CBD, the team pulverized air-dried hemp leaves into a fine powder and soaked them in methanol for a few weeks to achieve the desired concentrations. The methanol was later removed, and the extract was mixed with the larvae's food.
'If you compare the amount of hemp extract needed to kill 50 percent of the population to other synthetic conventional insecticides, it is on the high side, but when you compare it side-by-side to other natural extracts we have tested in our lab, only a relatively low amount is required to produce high mortality values in larvae,' said Martinez Rodriguez.
The findings, published in the journal Insects, revealed that CBD can successfully bypass the larvae's resistance to other insecticides, perfectly in line with previous findings regarding the notable growth-inhibiting properties of CBD against other insects.
'Our findings regarding the toxicity of CBD to mosquitoes align well with prior research suggesting CBD has toxic, antifeedant, and/or growth-inhibiting properties against other insects,' the researchers concluded.
'In addition, future studies should evaluate the economic feasibility of using hemp leaves as a source of insecticides'.
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