Repellent effect of plant leaves extract of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Abstract

Avoiding the bites of Aedes aegypti is the best way to prevent transmission of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). One effective way to avoid mosquito bites is to apply a repellent lotion. This research is an effort to find natural ingredients for mosquito repellent lotions. The purpose of this research is to determine the repellent effect of the ethanol extract of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) leaves, known to rich in alkaloids and saponin, against Aedes mosquitoes. The repellent lotion of tomato leaves extract was prepared in five concentration levels namely 0% (control), 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%. By applying a completely randomized design, five cages were prepared with 25 mosquitoes each, into which volunteers were asked to put their bare hands.The results showed that tomato leaf extract had a repellent effect on Aedes aegypti mosquito in a concentration-dependent manner.At the concentration of 10% the extract repels mosquito bites by 36%, while the extract with a concentration of 50% able to repel mosquito bites by up to 83%. It can be concluded that tomato leaf extract has a repellent effect on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and has the potential to be developed as a mosquito repellent lotion.