Methods and applications imparting plant essential oils as mosquito repellency agents on textiles

Abstract

Mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects that spread diseases including Malaria, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, Yellow fever, etc. Humans must be protected from mosquito bites in order to avoid mosquito-borne diseases. The application of repellents such as lotions and liquidators to the skin or clothing creates a vapor layer with a disagreeable odor or taste that renders a person undesirable for feeding, therefore, repelling mosquitoes. Plant essential oils, in general, have been recognised as a major natural resource for repellents in this area because of their selective characteristics as they are biodegradable, non-toxic and eco-friendly. Textile-based mosquito repellents is one the popular method of protection using cotton, polyester and other textiles. This method requires no additional investment in textile finishing industry, which is a desirable feature in developing countries. This review details the efforts of technocrats who applied mosquito repellents to fabrics and the criteria used to determine repellency.