Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development and testing.
Maia, Marta Ferreira;
Moore, Sarah J;
(2011)
Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development and testing.
Malaria journal, 10 Sup (Suppl ).
S11-.
ISSN 1475-2875
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-10-S1-S11
Permanent Identifier
Use this Digital Object Identifier when citing or linking to this resource.
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.