A REVIEW ON HERBAL PLANTS FOR MOSQUITO REPELLENT ACTIVITY

The mosquito is a common flying insect that is found around the world having about 3,500 species. Mosquitoes spread dengue, malaria, yellow fever, filarial and other diseases. Mosquito repellents play a key role in the prevention of mosquito bites. Different types of mosquito repellents such as synthetic compounds, herbs, and aromatic oils are used against mosquitoes. Chemical mosquito repellents have an extraordinary protection profile but are noxious as compared to plant-based mosquito repellents. Mainly DEET (N, N-Diethyl-3methyl benzamide) is the most widely used chemical mosquito repellent. DEET gives faster action but is hazardous. Instead of using DEET which is fully chemically based, one can utilize aromatic essential oils for keeping mosquitoes away. Aromatic essential oils provide health benefits. Essential oils obtained from lavender, basil, pine, peppermint, lemongrass, lemon, eucalyptus, thyme, tea tree, camphor, neem, etc, have mosquito repellent properties also promote health benefits. Natural repellents are found to be safe and better for the skin. Plant-based repellents are chemical-free and have many advantages over chemical-based repellents. Varieties of plant-based mosquito repellents are available in the market. As well as, one can easily prepare mosquito repellent formulations with the natural ingredients available at home. Ingredients like garlic, neem, cloves, camphor, cinnamon, bay leaves, and lavender are easily available at home and are utilized to prepare mosquito repellents that are safe and effective, and are chemical-free. The homemade formulations are found to be effective as well as promote a good safety profile