Comparative repellency of 38 essential oils against mosquito bites

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 303 - 309
• Main Authors: Trongtokit, Y, Rongsriyam, Y, Komalamisra, N, Apiwathnasorn, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.04.2005; Wiley
• Subjects: Administration, Cutaneous; Aedes; Aedes aegypti; Animals; Anopheles; Anopheles dirus; Biological and medical sciences; Culex; Culex quinquefasciatus; Culicidae; Cymbopogon nardus; Flowers; General pharmacology; Humans; Insect Bites and Stings - prevention & control; Insect Repellents - administration & dosage; Insect Repellents - therapeutic use; Medical sciences; Mosquito repellent; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Leaves; Plant Oils - administration & dosage; Plant Oils - therapeutic use; Plants, Medicinal; Pogostemon cablin; Seeds; Syzygium aromaticum; Treatment Outcome; Zanthoxylum limonella; Pharmacognosy; Insecta; Anopheles dirus; Cymbopogon nardus; Culex quinquefasciatus; Medicinal plant; Mosquito repellent; Anopheles; Pogostemon cablin; Arthropoda; Dicotyledones; Syzygium aromaticum; Angiospermae; Culicidae; Plant origin; Myrtaceae; Repellent; Spermatophyta; Aedes aegypti; Essential oil; Invertebrata; Zanthoxylum limonella; Diptera
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1637

The mosquito repellent activity of 38 essential oils from plants at three concentrations was screened against the mosquito Aedes aegypti under laboratory conditions using human subjects. On a volunteer's forearm, 0.1 mL of oil was applied per 30 cm2 of exposed skin. When the tested oils were applied at a 10% or 50% concentration, none of them prevented mosquito bites for as long as 2 h, but the undiluted oils of Cymbopogon nardus (citronella), Pogostemon cablin (patchuli), Syzygium aromaticum (clove) and Zanthoxylum limonella (Thai name: makaen) were the most effective and provided 2 h of complete repellency. From these initial results, three concentrations (10%, 50% and undiluted) of citronella, patchouli, clove and makaen were selected for repellency tests against Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles dirus. As expected, the undiluted oil showed the highest protection in each case. Clove oil gave the longest duration of 100% repellency (2–4 h) against all three species of mosquito. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.