Volatile Oil from Piper macedoi: A New Perspective for Aedes aegypti Mosquito Control

In 2024, Brazil and the rest of Latin America are confronting a significant challenge related to dengue fever. The vector of urban arboviruses, Aedes aegypti, has become a public health problem due to developed resistance to insecticides used for its combat. We describe the chemical profile and larvicidal potential of the volatile oil obtained from Piper macedoi Yunck., Piperaceae, against Aedes aegypti larvae. The oil was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) for the identification and quantification of its constituents. Ae. aegypti larvae, which were obtained from urban breeding sites and insectary, were exposed to different concentrations of P. macedoi’s volatile oil. The oil showed 65 compounds (monoterpenes, 52.62%; sesquiterpenes, 17.96%; arylpropanoids, 27.47%). After 24 h of exposure to P. macedoi’s oil, larvae collected in the urban breeding sites and insectary presented 100% mortality at concentrations between 250 and 1000 ppm, with a lethal concentration capable of killing 50% of the population studied (LC₅₀) of 105 ppm and 196 ppm, respectively. Thus, the study presents the volatile oil P. macedoi as a potential new natural alternative to control the expansion of Ae. aegypti.