An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles with Plant Extracts Against Mosquito Vectors: A Review

Mosquito-borne diseases remain a critical global public health concern, exacerbated by escalating insecticide resistance, rapid urbanization, and climate-driven alterations in mosquito ecology. Conventional chemical larvicides, though historically effective, have contributed to widespread environmental contamination and resistance in vector populations, underscoring the need for safer, sustainable control tools. In response, plant-derived larvicides and green-synthesized nanoparticles have emerged as promising alternatives due to their biodegradability, eco-compatibility, and multi-target modes of action. This review outlines the historical progression of mosquito control from synthetic larvicides to plant-based and nano-enabled strategies, with particular focus on phytochemicals and plant-mediated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as next-generation vector control agents. Green synthesis of AgNPs harnesses phytochemical constituents of plant extracts as reducing, stabilizing, and capping agents, thereby minimizing the use of hazardous reagents and rendering the process environmentally benign. The formation, size, and morphology of these AgNPs are routinely confirmed using techniques such as UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Accumulating evidence indicates that herbal AgNPs possess potent larvicidal activity, mediated through structural disruption of larval tissues, overproduction of reactive oxygen species, damage to midgut epithelial cells, and interference with key physiological and reproductive pathways. Reported mechanisms further include alterations in larval morphology, perturbation of biochemical profiles, and midgut-targeted toxicity leading to impaired development and survival. The article positions plant-based AgNPs as a potential paradigm shift in vector management, offering an ecologically sustainable alternative to conventional larvicides while highlighting critical knowledge gaps in toxicity profiling, formulation scalability, and field validation that must be addressed before operational deployment. Overall, the evidence supports the progressive integration of botanically synthesized nanoparticles into sustainable mosquito control programmes as part of integrated vector management frameworks. Over the years, mosquito control remains challenged by rising insecticide resistance, ecological risks of non-targeted impact of chemical larvicides, and climate-driven changes in vector ecology as mosquito is rapidly breeding due to conducive environment, undermining progress toward SDG 3, i.e., good health and wellbeing. Alternative environmental friendly benign option is plant-based larvicides and green-synthesized nanoparticles. It offers promising, environmentally compatible alternatives aligned with SDGs 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on land); however, their adoption is limited by gaps in toxicity profiling, regulatory frameworks, scalable formulation, and field validation. Addressing these constraints is essential for integrating nano-enabled botanicals into climate-resilient and biodiversity-sensitive integrated vector management (IVM) strategies.​