A systematic review of plant-based mosquito repellents and their activity

Abstract

Deadly pathogens and parasites can be transmitted through many vectors, and the mosquito is considered one of the most threatening vectors in public health, transmitting various diseases to humans such as zika fever, west nile fever, chikungunya, dengue fever, hemorrhagic dengue, malaria and many more all over the world causing millions of deaths every year. Mosquito-borne diseases can be prevented with the use of ‘mosquito repellents'; thus, it plays a crucial role in minimising the possibility of getting infections and its adverse effects. To prevent mosquito-borne diseases, synthetic mosquito repellent became a handy and preferred measurement. However, over time, it became incompetent because mosquitoes acquired immunity to them, and since synthetic repellent are chemicals, causes more harm to the ecosystem by contamination. So, there is a sore need for natural alternatives to synthetic repellents. Our ancient texts have mentioned that some important plant genera, such as Azadirachta, Calotropis, Cinnamomum, Citrus, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Mentha, Lantana, Ocimum, Piper, Zingiber, have anti-larval and insecticidal properties and their essential oils and extracts have been used in traditional practice form generations against host-seeking mosquitoes as a personal protection measure. Keeping these aspects in view, the main focus of this review is to demonstrate and analyse the mosquito-repellent activities of essential oils and extracts derived from different plant families and to understand their mode of action better.