Protein carbonylation is a mediator in larvicidal mechanisms of Tabernaemontana cymosa ethanolic extract

Abstract

Abstract Aedes aegypti mosquito is considered the most efficient vector for the spread of dengue, chikungunya, and zika viruses around the world and it is commonly controlled with synthetic insecticides. Despite their effectiveness, they have created problems like insecticide resistance become urgent to find novel insecticides or alternative methods for controlling it. Here, plants extracts, offer great promise as source of phytochemicals toxic against adult and immature mosquito stages. However, extracts are complexes mixture of compounds acting along at the same time on different biological targets and representing a real challenge when it is necessary to identify the mechanisms of action. Considering proteins are the main molecular targets of drugs, we used methods of redox proteomics to characterize pro-oxidant effects for larvicides, Ethanolic Extract of Tabernaemontana cymosa seeds (EETC) and the organophosphate temephos (Abate) on Aedes aegypti larvae midgut proteome. Initially, global oxidative damage caused by EETC and temephos was measured by carbonyl index quantitation in dot blot assay. After, combining Western blots with mass spectrometry, larvae proteins involved at the energy metabolism were identified as target of the pro-oxidant action. Results indicate that protein carbonylation plays an important role into the larvicide mechanisms of EETC and temephos. Finally, by phytochemical test were identified alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins as the major constituents.