Novel Essential Oils Blend as a Repellent and Toxic Agent against Disease-Transmitting Mosquitoes

• Published in: Toxics (Basel) 2023-06, Vol.11 (6), p.517
• Main Authors: Kamaraj, Chinnaperumal, Satish Kumar, Rajappan Chandra, Al-Ghanim, Khalid A, Nicoletti, Marcello, Sathiyamoorthy, V, Sarvesh, Sabarathinam, Ragavendran, Chinnasamy, Govindarajan, Marimuthu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Aedes aegypti; Anopheles stephensi; Aquatic insects; Benzoates; Benzoic acid; Bioassays; Biopesticides; Chemical properties; Cosmetics; Cosmetics industry; Culex quinquefasciatus; DEET; Dengue fever; Essences and essential oils; essential oil; Essential oils; Filariasis; Formulations; Health aspects; Herbal medicine; Industrial development; Insect baits and repellents; Insects; Larvae; larvicide; Limonene; Lotions; Malaria; Medicinal plants; molecular docking; Molecular dynamics; Mortality; Mosquitoes; Oviposition; repellent; Seeds; Toxic diseases; Vector-borne diseases; Vectors
• ISSN: 2305-6304; 2305-6304
• DOI: 10.3390/toxics11060517

Bio-insecticidal research has focused on long-term vector control using essential oils (EOs). This study examined the larvicidal, oviposition-deterrent, and repellent properties of five medicinal herb-based EO formulations (EOFs) on mosquitoes that are vectors of dengue, filariasis, and malaria. EOFs were significantly more toxic to the larvae and pupae of , , and with LC = 9.23, 12.85, and 14.46 ppm, as well with 10.22, 11.39, and 12.81 ppm, with oviposition active indexes of -0.84, -0.95, and -0.92, respectively. Oviposition-deterrent repellence was found in 91.39%, 94.83%, and 96.09%. EOs and N, N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) were prepared at various concentrations for time duration repellent bioassays (6.25-100 ppm). , , and were monitored for 300, 270, and 180 min, respectively. At 100 ppm, EOs and DEET had comparable repellence in terms of test durations. EOF's primary components d-limonene (12.9%), 2,6-octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl, (Z) (12.2%), acetic acid, phenylmethyl ester (19.6%), verbenol (7.6%), and benzyl benzoate (17.4%) may be combined to make a mosquito larvicidal and repellant equivalent to synthetic repellent lotions. In the molecular dynamics simulations, limonene (-6.1 kcal/mol) and benzyl benzoate (-7.5 kcal/mol) had a positive chemical association with DEET (-6.3 kcal/mol) and interacted with the OBP binding pocket with high affinity and stability. This research will help local herbal product manufacturers and the cosmetics industry in developing 100% herbal insect repellent products to combat mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, and filariasis.