Mosquito repellent activity of essential oils of aromatic plants growing in Argentina.

GILLIJ YG; RAQUEL GLEISER,; ZYGADLO JULIO,

Bioresource Technology

Elservier

Lugar: NY; Año: 2008 vol. 99 p. 2507 - 2515

Mosquitoes are important vectors of diseases and nuisance pests. Repellents minimize contact with mosquitoes. Repellents based on EO are being developed as an alternative to DEET, an effective compound that has disadvantages incluidin toxic reactions, and damage to plastic and synthetic fabric. This work evaluated the repellency against Aedes aegypti of EO from aromatic plants that grow in Argentina. Acantholippia seriphioides, Achyrocline satureioides, Aloysia citriodora, Anemia tomentosa, Baccharis spartioides, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Eucalyptus saligna, Hyptis mutabilis, Minthostachys mollis, Rosmarinus officinalis, Tagetes minuta and Tagetes pusilla. Most EO were effective. Variations depending on geographic origin of the plant were detected. At a 90% EO concentration, A. satureoides and T. pusilla were the least repellent. At concentrations of 12.5% B. spartioides, R. officinalis and A. citriodora showed the longest repellency times. Comparisons of the principal components of eahc EO suggest that limonene and camphor were the main components responsible for the repellent effects.