title: Repellent properties of Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn. (Family: Sapindaceae) plant leaf extracts against three important vector mosquitoes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine repellent activity of hexane, ethyl acetate, benzene, chloroform and methanol extract of Cardiospermum halicacabum (C. halicacabum) against Culex quinquefasciatus (Cx. quinquefasciatus), Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) and Anopheles stephensi (An. stephensi).
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation was carried out in a net cage (45 cm×30 cm×25 cm) containing 100 blood starved female mosquitoes of three mosquito species and were assayed in the laboratory condition by using the protocol of WHO 2005; The plant leaf crude extracts of C. halicacabum was applied at 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 mg/cm(2) separately in the exposed area of the fore arm. Only ethanol served as control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this observation, the plant crude extracts gave protection against mosquito bites without any allergic reaction to the test person, and also, the repellent activity was dependent on the strength of the plant extracts. The tested plant crude extracts had exerted promising repellent against all the three mosquitoes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the results it can be concluded the crude extract of C. halicacabum was potential for controlling Cx. quinquefasciatus, Ae. aegypti and An. stephensi mosquitoes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vector Biology and Phytochemistry, Department of Zoology, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar 608 002, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Govindarajan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sivakumar
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003465:Culex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D029631:Sapindaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007302:Insect Repellents
keywords: Aedes aegypti; Anopheles stephensi; Cardiospermum halicacabum; Culex quinquefasciatus; Repellency