Jatropha curcas (Linn) leaf extract –a possible alternative for population control of Rhipicephalus(Boophilus) annulatus

ObjectiveTo study the effect of ethanolic extract of leaves of the plant Jatropha curcas as a step towards developing a safe and ecofriendly therapeutic agent to combat the problems of tick and tick-borne diseases.MethodsPulverised leaves of J. curcas were subjected to soxhlet extraction using ethanol. The ethanolic extract of J. curcas at different dilutions such as, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 mg / ml were tested against ticks using adult immersion test. The per cent adult mortality, inhibition of fecundity and hatching of laid ova were studied.ResultsThe extract caused significant blocking of hatching of the laid ova by the treated ticks.ConclusionsEclosion blocking effect of J. curcas extract is a promising property of the plant that can be utilized for controlling the population of ticks.