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A promising azeotrope-like mosquito repellent blend
Homa Izadi1,2, Walter W Focke3,4, Erfan Asaadi1
1Institute of Applied Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Scientific Reports
|September 2, 2017
Summary
A novel repellent blend of ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate and nonanoic acid offers superior, long-lasting protection against mosquitoes. This scientifically formulated mixture outperforms the leading repellent, DEET, in crucial human-vector contact reduction for disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Entomology and Public Health
- Chemical Formulations for Vector Control
Background:
- Topical repellents are essential for mitigating mosquito-borne disease transmission by minimizing human-vector interactions.
- Existing repellents, while effective, present opportunities for enhanced performance and formulation innovation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a binary repellent blend composed of ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate and nonanoic acid.
- To compare the protective duration and effectiveness of this novel blend against a standard repellent.
Main Methods:
- Investigated the physical-chemical properties of the repellent blend, specifically its pseudo-azeotropic behavior at 50°C.
- Conducted efficacy testing using the South African Medical Research Council's established cup-on-arm procedure.
- Compared the blend's performance against N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), a widely recognized repellent standard.
Main Results:
- A specific composition (25 mol% nonanoic acid) demonstrated negative pseudo-azeotrope behavior, ensuring stable evaporation without compositional change.
- The binary repellent blend provided superior protection duration compared to DEET in human-subject testing.
- The novel formulation exhibited enhanced efficacy in reducing human-vector contact.
Conclusions:
- The ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate and nonanoic acid blend represents a significant advancement in topical repellent technology.
- This formulation offers a more effective and potentially longer-lasting alternative to DEET for preventing mosquito bites and disease transmission.
