Development of poly herbal mosquito repellent

Abstract

In order to obtain safe and effective herbal mosquito repellent formulations by combining selected plant materials, the present study was conducted to establish the mosquito repellent efficacy of some selected plant materials. Essential oils of Origanum majorana (Marua/Marwa), Tanacetum cinerarifolium (Pyrethrum), Juniperus communis (Aiteal), Scented geranium (Pelargonium), Thuja occidentalis L. (Arbor Vitae, White Cedor/Yellow Cedor), Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. Ex Kunth (Piliya/ Pila Kaner/ Yellow Bells, Artenmisia arborescent (Worm Wood/Mugworts, and Calamintha acinos (Thyme Basil) were Purchased from a reliable source. Essential oil containing ethanol solutions was prepared by 10 percent (V/V percent) of each essential oil plant and testing of mosquito repellent behavior was performed using arm-in-cage process. Volunteer's forearm, rubbed with 1ml of the test solution, was exposed to the cage where 25 blood-seeking mosquitoes were put and the amount of mosquitoes aligning or biting the arm in each minute was registered for five minutes each. Three replicates were performed for each essential oil that contained ethanol solutions. A 16 percent (V/V percent) mosquito repellent formulation after analyzing the mosquito repellent activity of individual essential oils. Outdoor and indoor field trials were performed around 5p.m. And 10:00p.m. After two days the mosquito repellent formulation is applied to the volunteer legs. This formulation demonstrated 100 percent repellence of mosquitoes in outdoor and indoor field studies that were performed for 5 hours each day for two days. The gel showed 97 percent mosquito repellence in outdoor and indoor field trials that were conducted for two days for six hours each day.