Solution Combustion Synthesis of Hierarchically Structured V2O5 Nanoflakes: Efficacy Against Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium berghei and the Malaria Vector Anopheles stephensi

The effective prevention and treatment of malaria still represent a major public health challenge. Here, the solution combustion method was used for the synthesis of hierarchically structured V 2 O 5 nanoflakes. The toxicity of V 2 O 5 nanoflakes was evaluated on the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi and on the malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum and P. berghei , relying to in vitro and in vivo assays. V 2 O 5 nanoflakes were examined by various techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XRD), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). LC 50 of V 2 O 5 nanoflakes against A. stephensi larvae and pupae were 1.936 ppm (larva I), 3.606 ppm (II), 4.750 ppm (III), 6.636 ppm (IV), and 8.876 ppm (pupae). Furthermore, the antiplasmodial activity of V 2 O 5 nanoflakes was evaluated against chloroquine-resistant (CQ-r) and CQ-sensitive (CQ-s) strains of P. falciparum . IC 50 of V 2 O 5 nanoflakes were 84.54 μg/ml (CQ-s) and 88.17 μg/ml (CQ-r). In vivo antiplasmodial experiments conducted on P. berghei infecting albino mice showed moderate activity of V 2 O 5 nanoflakes, if compared to chloroquine. Overall, our results highlighted the promising potential of the solution combustion method for the synthesis of hierarchically structured V 2 O 5 nanoflakes, which showed really high efficacy as mosquito larvicides and pupicides.