Mosquito repellents derived from plants

Abstract

Plant products have been put to use in a variety of contexts ever since ancient times. The development of chemical goods, on the other hand, led to a decline in the employment of these methods against pests. Recently, there has been a rise in concerns over public health and environmental security, which requires the identification of natural compounds that have the potential to be utilized against insect pests. Mosquitoes are major transmitters of illnesses and nuisance pests. The use of repellents lowers the risk of being bitten by a mosquito. At present, the use of synthetic pesticides to control insects and other arthropods presents several problems relating to the health of both humans and the environment. One option is to make use of natural products, which, in addition to being kind to the environment, are also very effective. Essential oils from plants belonging to a variety of species have been put through a battery of tests to determine the extent of their insect-repellent capabilities as a potentially useful natural resource. Among these compounds, are essential oils. The major emphasis of this review is going to be on the essential oils that have been shown to have repellent actions, as well as the significance of the synergistic effects that occur between the various components of these oils. Essential oils are volatile mixes of hydrocarbons that include a variety of different functional groups. Their ability to ward off pests has been connected to the presence of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in their composition. Nevertheless, in some contexts, the combined effects of these substances may have a synergistic boost to their efficiency. The plant families Cymbopogon spp., Ocimum spp., and Eucalyptus spp. are the most often listed as having potentially effective essential oils that may be utilized as insect repellents. A-pinene, limonene, citronellol, citronellal, camphor, and thymol are some of the individual chemicals that may be found in these mixes and have a high level of activity as a repellent. Last but not least, even though synthetic chemicals are still used as insect repellents more often than essential oils, these natural products have the potential to offer effective and safer insect repellents for both people and the environment. This is even though essential oils are more expensive than synthetic chemicals.