Biotoxicity of Acrostichum aureum L. synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles against Aedes albopictus, and impact on predation efficiency of mosquito fish Gambusia affinis

[Display omitted] •We used Acrostichum aureum L. as a source of insecticidal nanomaterials.•A. aureum-synthesized ZnONPs were studied using UV–vis and FTIR spectroscopy, TEM, XRD and EDX analyses.•A. aureum-ZnONPs had remarkable anti-developmental effect on dengue vector.•Low doses of A. aureum derived ZnONPs enhanced the predatory potential of mosquito fish on dengue vector. Globally, billions of people are at risk from pathogens and parasites transmitted by mosquitoes and other arthropod vectors. At present, India is facing a threat of Aedes mosquito which transmits and spread the arbovirus causing dengue and Chikungunya which creates deadly fear among public in all countries. Control of arthropod pests in growing countries is a key issue with different aspects. Therefore, in this research, we synthesized ZnONPs from Achrostichum aureum L. to manage mosquito vectors. The synthesized ZnONPs were characterized by using SEM and TEM, with a size ranging from 36.8 nm to 68.4 nm. Further, XRD analysis indicates the crystalline nature of the face-centered cubic structures of synthesized ZnONPs. Also, the FTIR confirms the role of a variety of phytoconstituents that are involved in binding with nanomaterials in order to stabilize them for a long period of time. Insecticidal assays showed that both ethanolic leaf extract of A. aureum and its fabricated ZnONPs had significant toxicity on different life stages of targets with LC50 values were 15.65-I instar, 17.07-II instar, 18.59-III instar, 18.35-IV instar, and 19.50-puape respectively. Concerning non-target effects, the predatory potency for Gambusia affinis was 46.73%, and 32.87% on III and IV larval instars of A. albopictus in standard laboratory settings while in ZnONPs treated aquatic environmental settings, the predatory efficiency of fish was boosted to 60.06%, and 40.86%, respectively. In conclusion, this research explored that both A. aureum extract and its fabricated ZnONPs may be considered as an alternative tool against dengue vector.