Larvicidal activity of Cyclamen (Myrsinaceae) extracts against the larvae of West Nile virus vector Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae)

Comparative anatomical survey of Cyclamen L. (Primulaceae) taxa and their traditional medicinal uses in Turkey

The genus Cyclamen is native to Turkey, where it is represented by 12 perennial tuberous geophytic taxa. In this study, a detailed anatomical description of all Cyclamen taxa found in Turkey is provided for the first time. Tuber, root, petiole, and leaf cross-sections were stained with Astra blue and safranin, and tuber slides were also stained with sartur. Tubers of these taxa used by local people as a treatment for infertility were separately investigated. Stomatal index values and epidermis cell features of the studied taxa were measured. Indumentum features of the leaves were described for the first time. Petiole and leaf anatomy and particularly stomatal density, size, and index, provided valuable evidence for species identification. Although the anatomical features of these taxa are not sufficient as diagnostic characters, they can be used together with morphological features.

Enhancement of photocatalytic and biological activities of chitosan/activated carbon incorporated with TiO2 nanoparticles

Novel and sustainable chitosan (CS)/activated charcoal (AC) composites were prepared by cross-linking with epichlorohydrin (ECH) to form a porous structure. Different titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO₂ NPs) concentrations (0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8% w/w) were added to enhance the photocatalytic, antibacterial, larvicidal, and pupicidal activities' efficiency toward Rose Bengal (RB) dye and the Culex pipiens. The composites were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, XPS, BET and SEM. The SEM images revealed the porous structure of CS/AC and TiO₂ nanoparticles were uniformly distributed in the CS/AC matrix. The degradation of RB dye was used to test the photocatalytic behavior of the composites. Supporting TiO₂ on a CS/AC matrix resulted in a significant increase in photocatalytic performance. The antibacterial activities supported by CS/AC/TiO₂ NPs were evaluated by bacterial growth inhibition against B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. The results showed that CS/AC/TiO₂ NPs composite has an inhibitory effect and therefore considered antibacterial agents. CS/AC/0.4%TiO₂ NPs showed maximum efficacy against larvicidal activity and pupicidal of mosquito vector which recorded 99.00 ± 1.14, 95.00 ± 1.43, and 92.20 ± 2.64 for the first, second, and third larval instars and 66.00 ± 2.39 for pupal mortality, while the repellent activity reported high protection at 82.95 ± 2.99 with 3.24 mg/cm² dose compared to control DEET.