Effect of Leaf Extract of Syzgium cumini and Curcuma longa on Gut Fauna of Heterotermes indicola

Abstract

Termites cause substantial economic losses globally, and their symbiotic gut protozoa play a key role in cellulose digestion and survival. Plant-based termiticides offer an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic chemicals. This study aimed to evaluate the termiticidal and protozoa-suppressing effects of ethanolic leaf extracts of Syzygium cumini and Curcuma longa on Heterotermes indicola. Leaves of both plants were extracted in ethanol using a Soxhlet apparatus. Three extract concentrations (10%, 5%, and 3% v/v) were tested in a no-choice bioassay. Mortality rates were recorded over 72 hours, and gut protozoal counts were quantified using hemocytometry. Both extracts exhibited concentration-dependent activity. S. cumini showed the highest mortality (95.33%), followed by C. longa (90.33%) at 10% concentration. Similarly, gut protozoal counts were reduced to 120 × 10³/mL with S. cumini and 190 × 10³/mL with C. longa at 10% concentration, compared to 520 × 10³/mL in the control. The ethanolic leaf extracts of S. cumini and C. longa are promising candidates for the development of botanical termiticides. Their dual effect on termite mortality and gut protozoa highlights their potential for sustainable termite control strategies.