Essential oil based polymeric patch development and evaluating its repellent activity against mosquitoes.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Entomology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Essential oil-based insect repellents offer an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic options.
• Mosquito bites pose health risks, necessitating effective personal protection methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize an essential oil-based, patch-type mosquito repellent formulation.
• To evaluate the repellent efficacy and safety of the developed formulation against Ae. (S) albopictus.

Main Methods:

• An optimized mixture of three essential oils was embedded into ethylcellulose (EC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K-30) polymers.
• Physico-chemical properties, oil release, polymer interaction, and repellent activity were evaluated.
• Inhalation toxicity was assessed in Wistar rats, and efficacy was compared to Odomos®.

Main Results:

• The developed patches were stable, homogenous, and exhibited no adverse interactions between oils and polymers.
• The formulation provided 100% repellent activity comparable to the commercial repellent Odomos® under laboratory conditions.
• No inhalation toxicity was observed in experimental Wistar rats.

Conclusions:

• The developed essential oil-based patch formulation is a stable, safe, and effective mosquito repellent.
• This eco-friendly alternative offers comparable protection to synthetic repellents, presenting a viable option for mosquito bite prevention.