MOSQUITO REPELLENT ACTIVITY AND PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANT, PLECTRANTHUS AMBIONICUS (LOUR) AGAINST CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS
Afrin jumana A., Annapoorani C.A.* and Dilna M. T.
ABSTRACT
Mosquitoes are vectors for more diseases prevalent due to stagnant
water in rural and urban areas. Mosquito bites can cause simple skin
irritation to harmful vector borne diseases. Therefore, staying away
from bites is important and challenging. The leaf extract of
Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour) have high repellent efficacy against
the vector C. quinquefasciatus. The natural bioactive compounds
present in the plant make it an efficient alternative to the conventional
insecticides used for repelling mosquito species without any skin
allergies. The ethanolic leaf extract of P. amboinicus (Lour) provides
maximum repellency against adult C. quinquefasciatus. It shows 100%
protection up to 90 minutes at all concentrations. This is followed by
5.0 concentration of petroleum ether extract which provides 99.83% of protection at 30
minutes, 99% of protection at 60 minutes and 98% of protection at 90 minutes of exposure.
Phytochemical analysis of P. amboinicus (Lour) leaf showed the presence of alkaloids,
flavonoids, tannins, diterpenes, carbohydrates, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, saponins,
phytosterols, phenols, proteins and amino acids.
Keywords: Culex quinquefasciatus, repellent efficacy, Plectranthus amboinicus.
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