Planta Med 2010; 76 - P49
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1251811

Characterization and Comparison of Five Eucalyptus Essential Oils and their Repellent Activity Against Aedes aegypti

N Tabanca 1, EK Blythe 2, UR Bernier 3, B Demirci 4, KHC Baser 4, A Weerasooriya 5, IA Khan 5, 6, DE Wedge 1
  • 1US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
  • 2Mississippi State University, Coastal Research and Extension Center, South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station, Poplarville, MS 39470, USA
  • 3USDA, ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology 1600 S.W. 23rd Drive Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
  • 4Anadolu University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, 26470 Eskisehir, Turkey
  • 5National Center for Natural Products Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
  • 6Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA

Mosquitoes are vectors for many pathogens that cause diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, Rift Valley fever, and Chikungunya. When significant levels of transmission occur, epidemics can result producing high rates of human morbidity and mortality. Currently, the development of naturally occurring insecticides and repellents is under exploration to increase and improve our ability to protect humans from mosquito bites, and ultimately to reduce the transmission risk of mosquito-borne illnesses [1]. Through the Deployed War-Fighter Protection (DWFP) Research Program, we have expanded our role in exploration and identification of new natural compounds for mosquito toxicants and repellent activity. Ultimately, our goal is to find new efficacious compounds with low mammalian and environmental toxicity. Repellents are one of the most common methods of personal protection from mosquito bites. The most effective topical repellent, DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-methylbenzamide), was discovered in 1954 and is still in widespread use today. Although effective against a wide range of insects, some individuals prefer to use an alternative repellent based on natural products. Plants are an excellent source of candidate mosquito repellents because they constitute a rich source of bioactive chemicals. The present work reports on the repellent activity of 5 Eucalyptus essential oils against Aedes aegypti. Acknowledgements: This study was supported by a grant from the Deployed War-Fighter Protection (DWFP) Research Program and the U.S. Department of Defense through the Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB). References: [1] Quinn BP, et al. (2007)J Chromatogr A, 1160: 306–310.