Abstract
The present study focused on extracting green larvicides from extracts of the combination of
Foeniculum vulgare
and
Matricaria chamomilla
using different solvents of increasing polarity in a Soxhlet extractor and evaluating their ovicidal, larvicidal, and cytotoxic activities. The most promising among all tested extracts was hexane extract. The ovicidal activity of the hexane PH2 extract resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in egg hatchability from 95.00 ± 6.16% to 15 ± 9.04% at doses ranging from 62.5 to 500 µg/mL. The larval mortality with the hexane extract ranged from 13.33 ± 3.3% to 93.33 ± 3.3% at doses ranging from 31.25 to 250 µg/mL, respectively. The LC
50
and LC
90
values of the larvicidal activity of the hexane extract were estimated to be 148.3 and 242.17 µg/mL, respectively, after 24 h of exposure. Similarly, the LC
50
values after 48 and 72 h of exposure were 124.93 and 100.3 µg/mL, respectively, against the third instar of
Cx. pipiens
. PH2 treatment of larvae resulted in histopathological changes such as degenerated epithelial cells and destruction of microvilli on the epithelial cells. The PH2 extract achieved a dose-dependent decrease in the rate of cell survival. The IC
50
value of PH2-treated HUVECs was 192.07 µg/mL after 24 h of incubation. The cells showed changes in cellular and nuclear morphology. In conclusion, the hexane extract of PH2 could be used in mosquito management programs.