Behavioral avoidance and biological safety of vetiver oil and its constituents against Aedes aegypti (L.), Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Culex quinquefasciatus Say

• Published in: Current research in insect science 2022-01, Vol.2, p.100044-100044, Article 100044
• Main Authors: Nararak, Jirod, Giorgio, Carole Di, Thanispong, Kanutcharee, Sukkanon, Chutipong, Sanguanpong, Unchalee, Mahiou-Leddet, Valerie, Ollivier, Evelyne, Chareonviriyaphap, Theeraphap, Manguin, Sylvie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: contact irritancy; cytotoxicity; mosquito vectors; Plant-based repellent; spatial repellent; terpinen-4-ol; valencene; vetiverol; vetivone; α-terpineol
• ISSN: 2666-5158; 2666-5158
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2022.100044

•Vetiver oil, valencene, and vetiverol had stronger repellent and irritant effects than the other constituents.•Cx. quinquefasciatus was more sensitive to vetiver oil and their constituents than Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus.•Vetiver oil and their constituents did not show any phototoxic activity.•None of the tested vetiver oil and their constituents induced a significant increase of micronucleated cells with or without metabolic activation.•Vetiver oil and two constituents (valencene and vetiverol) could be considered as a safe repellent, effective against mosquitoes. Numerous plant-based repellents are widely used for personal protection against host-seeking mosquitoes. Vitiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash essential oil and its constituents have demonstrated various mosquito repellent activities. In this study, three chemical actions of vetiver oil and five constituents (terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, valencene, vetiverol and vetivone) were characterized against Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus by using the high-throughput screening assay system (HITSS). Significant contact escape responses in Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus to all test compounds at concentrations between 2.5 and 5% were observed. Spatial repellency responses were also observed in some tested mosquito populations depending upon concentrations. The most significant toxic response on mosquitoes was found at the highest concentration, except for vetivone which had no toxic effect on Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Results on phototoxic and genotoxic hazard revealed that vetiver oil and their constituents showed no phototoxic potential or any significant genotoxic response. In conclusion, vetiver oil and two constituents, valencene and vetiverol, are potentials as active ingredients for mosquito repellency and present no toxicity.