A recent study found that hemp leaf extracts containing the active ingredient cannabidiol (CBD) could kill mosquito larvae within 48 hours.
Studies have shown that CBD can effectively kill two different strains of the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) – one that is resistant to traditional insecticides and one that is not.
“Mosquitoes are among the most dangerous animals in the world, mainly because they transmit diseases as adults,” said Eric Martínez Rodríguez, lead author of the study. “It is crucial that we can control these pests in their early stages, when they are most vulnerable.”
The research was inspired by earlier research from Ohio State University that revealed that plants in Madagascar have natural mosquito repellent properties.
To extract CBD, the team ground air-dried hemp leaves into a fine powder and soaked them in methanol for several weeks to reach the desired concentration, then removed the methanol and mixed the extract with larval food.
“The amount of hemp extract needed to kill 50 percent of the population is high when compared to other synthetic conventional insecticides, but when compared side-by-side with other natural extracts we've tested in our lab, a relatively small amount is needed to cause high mortality in the larvae,” Martinez Rodriguez said.
The results of the study, published in the journal Insects, show that CBD successfully circumvents the larval resistance to other insecticides, which is entirely in line with previous findings of CBD's significant growth-inhibiting properties on other insects.
“Our findings on the toxicity of CBD to mosquitoes are in good agreement with previous studies suggesting that CBD has toxic, antifeedant, and/or growth inhibitory properties towards other insects,” the researchers concluded.
“Furthermore, future research should evaluate the economic feasibility of using hemp leaves as a source of insecticides.”
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