This document discusses the use of essential oils derived from plants as mosquito repellents. It notes that the Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae, and Poaceae plant families are common sources of oils like citronella, eucalyptus, and lemongrass that have been used traditionally and shown in studies to repel mosquitoes. Specifically, it describes research finding that turmeric, galangal, and mustard oils provided 2-8 hours of protection against malaria-carrying mosquitoes. However, it also notes that widespread use of these oils is unlikely to significantly reduce malaria burden on its own.
This document discusses the use of essential oils derived from plants as mosquito repellents. It notes that the Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae, and Poaceae plant families are common sources of oils like citronella, eucalyptus, and lemongrass that have been used traditionally and shown in studies to repel mosquitoes. Specifically, it describes research finding that turmeric, galangal, and mustard oils provided 2-8 hours of protection against malaria-carrying mosquitoes. However, it also notes that widespread use of these oils is unlikely to significantly reduce malaria burden on its own.
This document discusses the use of essential oils derived from plants as mosquito repellents. It notes that the Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae, and Poaceae plant families are common sources of oils like citronella, eucalyptus, and lemongrass that have been used traditionally and shown in studies to repel mosquitoes. Specifically, it describes research finding that turmeric, galangal, and mustard oils provided 2-8 hours of protection against malaria-carrying mosquitoes. However, it also notes that widespread use of these oils is unlikely to significantly reduce malaria burden on its own.
This document discusses the use of essential oils derived from plants as mosquito repellents. It notes that the Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae, and Poaceae plant families are common sources of oils like citronella, eucalyptus, and lemongrass that have been used traditionally and shown in studies to repel mosquitoes. Specifically, it describes research finding that turmeric, galangal, and mustard oils provided 2-8 hours of protection against malaria-carrying mosquitoes. However, it also notes that widespread use of these oils is unlikely to significantly reduce malaria burden on its own.
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1/ 1
This study is supported by the theory using essential oils are derived by steam distillation from
plants in several families. The Lamiaceae family includes basil ( Ocimum basilicum ), mint ( Mentha spp.), hyptis ( Hyptis suaveolens ), lavender( Lavandula spp.), sage ( Salvia spp.), and thyme ( Thymus spp.). The Myrtaceae family includes eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus spp.) and tea tree ( Melaleuca spp.), and the Poaceae includes citronella, lemongrass, and palmarosa ( Cymbopogon spp.). Table 22.1 shows the average protection time against Aedes mosquitoes of the most common essential oils. Prior to the discovery of effective synthetic repellents, aromatic oils were used as repellents by the military. The British Indian army was issued with a cream composed of citronella, camphor, and paraffin, but it was only effective for 2 hours (Covell, 1943). Indications that essential oils prevent malaria are available, although few in number. Philipet al. (1945) reported lower spleen indices in women than men in Southern Madras. An in vivo study of the local malaria vector Anopheles fluviatilis showed that the mosquitoes were biting preferentially. The women of the region smeared themselves with turmeric ( Curcuma longa ), galangal ( Kaempferia galanga ), and mustard oil ( Brassica juncea ) before bathing. Tawatsin et al.(2001) found that the steam distillate of turmeric plants provided 8 hours of protection against Anopheles dirus, and a hexane fraction of galangal provided 3 hours of protection from Aedes aegypti in cage experiments (Choochote et al., 1999). Mustard oil provided 2.1 hours of protection in fieldtests against Anopheles culicifaces (Ansari and Razdan, 1985). It is possible that the lower spleen indices in these women were due to their use of plant oils, particularly as An. fluviatilis bites for only a few hours early in the evening (Nagpal and Sharma, 1995). However, it is unlikely that the burden of malaria in the region is reduced by the use of these oils since the mosquitoes were presumably diverted to biting the women’s unfortunate husbands. Karen women on the Thai–Myanmar border use thanaka, a cosmetic preparation made from the pulp of the wood apple tree, Limonia acidissima (see Figure 22.1). This preparation is slightly repellent at high concentrations and enhances the repellency of DEET when the two are mixed together. TABLE 22.1 The Repellency of Essential Oils (100% Concentration) to Aedes Mosquitoes from USDA (1943–67 Compound Duration of Protection (hours) Terpenene 0 Citronellal <1 Limonene £1 Myrcene £1 APinene £1 Citronellol 1–2 Eugenol 1–2 Linalool 1–2 bTerpeneol 1–2 Geraniol 2–3 Citral 2–3
