Avoidance Behavior to Essential Oils by Anopheles minimus, a Malaria Vector in Thailand.
Essential oils extracted from 4 different plant species--citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), hairy basil (Ocimum americanum), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), and vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides)-were investigated for their irritant and repellent activities against Anopheles minimus, using an excito-repellency test system. Pure essential oils were used in absolute ethanol at the concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%, and 5% (v/v) compared with deet. At the lowest concentration of 0.5%, hairy basil displayed the best irritant and repellent effects against An. minimus. Citronella and vetiver at 1-5% showed strong irritant effects with>80% escape, while repellent effects of both oils were observed at 1% and 2.5% citronella (73-89% escape) and at 5% vetiver (83.9% escape). Sweet basil had only moderate irritant action at 5% concentration (69.6% escape) and slightly repellent on test mosquitoes (<50% escape). The results found that hairy basil, citronella, and vetiver are promising potential mosquito repellent products for protection against An. minimus.
1   Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Jirod
J
Nararak
2   National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.
Sunaiyana
S
Sathantriphop
3   Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Plant Science Institute, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Kamal
K
Chauhan
4   Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Nakhonpathom 73140, Thailand.
Siripun
S
Tantakom
5   International Programs Tropical Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Amanda L
AL
Eiden
1   Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.|6   To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Theeraphap
T
Chareonviriyaphap
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000187:drug effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000187:drug effects*; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
D007302:Insect Repellents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils
Anopheles minimus; deet; essential oils; excito-repellency