Evaluation of selected South African ethnomedicinal plants as mosquito repellents against the <it>Anopheles arabiensis </it>mosquito in a rodent model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study was initiated to establish whether any South African ethnomedicinal plants (indigenous or exotic), that have been reported to be used traditionally to repel or kill mosquitoes, exhibit effective mosquito repellent properti...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Folb Peter I, Bhagwandin Niresh, Newmarch Marion, Crouch Neil R, Maharaj Vinesh, Maharaj Rajendra, Pillay Pamisha, Gayaram Reshma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2010-10-01
Series:Malaria Journal
Online Access:http://www.malariajournal.com/content/9/1/301
Description
Summary:<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study was initiated to establish whether any South African ethnomedicinal plants (indigenous or exotic), that have been reported to be used traditionally to repel or kill mosquitoes, exhibit effective mosquito repellent properties.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Extracts of a selection of South African taxa were tested for repellency properties in an applicable mosquito feeding-probing assay using unfed female <it>Anopheles arabiensis</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Although a water extract of the roots of <it>Chenopodium opulifolium </it>was found to be 97% as effective as DEET after 2 mins, time lag studies revealed a substantial reduction in efficacy (to 30%) within two hours.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>None of the plant extracts investigated exhibited residual repellencies >60% after three hours.</p>
ISSN:1475-2875