title: Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development and testing.
abstract: Plant-based repellents have been used for generations in traditional practice as a personal protection measure against host-seeking mosquitoes. Knowledge on traditional repellent plants obtained through ethnobotanical studies is a valuable resource for the development of new natural products. Recently, commercial repellent products containing plant-based ingredients have gained increasing popularity among consumers, as these are commonly perceived as "safe" in comparison to long-established synthetic repellents although this is sometimes a misconception. To date insufficient studies have followed standard WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme guidelines for repellent testing. There is a need for further standardized studies in order to better evaluate repellent compounds and develop new products that offer high repellency as well as good consumer safety. This paper presents a summary of recent information on testing, efficacy and safety of plant-based repellents as well as promising new developments in the field.
authors.affiliation: Disease Control Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
authors.forename: Marta Ferreira
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000187:drug effects*; D055808:Drug Discovery; D019448:Ethnobotany; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007302:Insect Repellents