PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONAL GROUP PROFILE OF Millettia aboensis EXTRACTS TO ELUCIDATE THEIR BIOCHEMICAL BASIS FOR LARVICIDALACTIVITY AGAINST Anopheles AND Culex MOSQUITOES

Abstract

Mosquitoes are major vectors of life-threatening diseases and their control is increasingly challenged by the emergence of insecticide resistance. Millettia aboensis has demonstrated promising larvicidal activity against mosquito species. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition and functional group profile of M. aboensis extracts to elucidate the biochemical basis of their larvicidal activity against Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes. Plant materials collected from Lafia metropolis were extracted by maceration and subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses, alongside Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Qualitative screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, phenols, and anthraquinones, with the leaf extracts showing greater phytochemical diversity and abundance of active constituents. Quantitative analysis indicated that saponins (18.78 mg/100 g) and steroids (16.65 mg/100 g) were predominantin the leaf extract. The FTIR spectroscopy further validated these findings by identifying characteristic absorption bands corresponding to hydroxyl (–OH), carbonyl (C=O), amine (–NH), ether (C–O–C), and chloro (C–Cl) groups, which are associated with alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids, and alkaloids. The presence of these functional groups suggests multiple larvicidal mechanisms, including oxidative stress induction, neurotoxic interference, enzymatic inhibition, and cuticular disruption. The integrated phytochemical and FTIR analyses provide molecular evidence supporting the larvicidal potency of M. aboensis, highlighting its potential as a sustainable botanical alternative to synthetic larvicides. The findings establish M. aboensis as a promising bio-resource for the development of eco-friendly vector control agents and contribute to the growing body of knowledge on plant-based mosquito management strategies.