Phototoxic effect of some porphyrin derivatives against the larvae of Aedes aegypti, a major vector of dengue fever.

摘要

Porphyrins when photosensitized, transfer their energy/electron to the triplet ground state oxygen, producing cell-lethal reactive oxygen species. Dengue is a tropical disease and the causative viruses are maintained in a cycle involving humans and the principal urban mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. Infection with dengue virus causes a spectrum of clinical illnesses, ranging from a nonspecific viral syndrome to severe and fatal haemorrhagic disease. In this communication we report on the promising photodynamic effect of porphyrin-generated singlet oxygen on the larvae of A. aegypti, with possible applications in controlling the dengue vector..