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Repellency of aerial parts of Teucrium polium L. essential oil formulation against Anopheles stephensi

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Abstract

Plants have traditionally been used as eco-friendly tools for insect management with insecticide/repellent activities. Natural-based agents, compared to chemical insecticides/repellents that have harmful effects on humans and environment, seem to be more effective and safer compounds. The repellent activity of Teucrium polium L. essential oil (TPEO) and its repellent emulsified formulation (REF) were evaluated against Anopheles stephensi (An. stephensi) mosquitoes using a Klun & Debboun (K&D) module under laboratory conditions. The safety of REF was established by the Draize skin irritation study. The chemical components of TPEO were investigated using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) technique. The most repellent activity (95%) was observed in the highest concentration of TPEO. The REF containing 20% EO was found to have 92% repellent effect with six hours of durability. The most significant components identified were nerolidol (57.22%), α-farnesene (8.41%), spathulenol (6.12%), germacrene D (5.64%), β-caryophyllene (3.71%), β-farnesene (3.25%), and caryophyllene oxide (2.31%). TPEO-emulsified formulation with significant repellency and no skin irritation has the potential to develop as a commercial repellent after specific quality control tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran

    Azar Tahghighi

  2. Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center (TMRC), Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Saeedeh Ghafari & Sorour Ghanavati

  3. Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Sorour Ghanavati

  4. Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Seyed Hassan Moosa Kazemi

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  1. Azar Tahghighi
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Correspondence to Saeedeh Ghafari.

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Tahghighi, A., Ghafari, S., Ghanavati, S. et al. Repellency of aerial parts of Teucrium polium L. essential oil formulation against Anopheles stephensi. Int J Trop Insect Sci 42, 3541–3550 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-022-00863-x

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