title: Chlorophyll derivatives can be an efficient weapon in the fight against dengue.
abstract: Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, is one of the major public health concerns in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Approximately, 2.5 billion people across the world are at risk from dengue and 50 to 100 million new infections of dengue occur annually. There is yet no vaccine or medicine available against dengue, and treatment remains only supportive. Targeting its vector by a combination of biological and chemical approaches and management of breeding sites are currently the only existing approaches to control or eliminate dengue. Chlorophyll derivatives like chlorophyllin and pheophorbide have been reported as effective natural photosensitizers against larvae of several insects including flies. Chlorophyll derivatives were also reported effective against larval stages of freshwater snails as well as against certain parasites of fish. This article briefly discusses the possible application of chlorophyll derivatives in controlling dengue vectors and hence the disease itself. Chlorophyll derivatives can prove to be a good contributor in an integrated approach against dengue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 26000, Pakistan, azizswabi@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Azizullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azizullah
authors.forename: Zia Ur
authors.initials: ZU
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Waheed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Murad
authors.forename: Noor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.forename: Waheed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ullah
authors.forename: Donat-Peter
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Häder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000737:chemistry*; D009033:Culicidae / Q000187:drug effects*; D003715:Dengue / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000187:drug effects*; D007814:Larva; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll