Abstract

AN OVERVIEW OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HERBAL PLANTS IN REPELLING MOSQUITOES: ESSENTIAL OILS

Anand Singh*, Aditya Pratap Mall and Prince Kumar Verma

Abstract

Mosquitoes, with over several species, are common insects found around the globe. They are known to spread disease such as dengue, malaria, yellow fever and filarial infection. Mosquito – borne disease pose a significant public health challenge in tropical areas, particularly in Africa and Asia. Theese disease spread through mosquito bites, making it crucial to prevent these bites to control their impact. One effective and safe approach is use to mosquito repellents derived from medicinal plant. Using mosquito repellent is a crucial to prevent bites from these pests. Repellents are available in various forms, including synthetic chemicals, essential oils, natural plant extract. While chemical repellents provide strong protection, they can also be harmfull. DEET (N, N-Diethyl-3methylbenzamide) is the most widely used chemical repellents; it works quickly but poses certain risks. For a safer alternative, one can opt for essential oils, which not only repel mosquitos but also offer health benefits. The essential oils were extracted by Hydrodistillation method at 50 with an all glass Clevenger apparatus. After extraction, they were kept in the refrigerator at 4 until further studies could be conducted. Oils from lavender, basil, pine, peppermint, lemongrass, lemon, eucalyptus, camphor and neem are effective in keeping mosquitoes at bay while being kind to the skin. Plant based repellents are free of chemicals and tend to be safer and more beneficial overall. Numerous option exist from plant based mosquito repellents, and many effective solutions can be easily created at home using common kitchen ingreadients like garlic, lavender, cloves, cinnamon, bay of leaves, neem are use to make chemical free, safe and efficient mosquito repellents. The present study demonstrates the potential for using essential oils from medicinal plant as mosquito repellent.

Keywords: Malaria, Plant, Essential oil, DEET, Repellents, Mosquito, Natural.