Abstract:The Indian clove, Syzygium aromaticum [L] Merr. et Perry, has been popularly used in the treatment of several diseases. A more recent use of this spice in Brazil is a homemade formulation, based on the ethanolic extraction of the dried flower buds of S. aromaticum, which has shown to be efficient as mosquitoes repellent. Here we evaluated, through the development of a GC analytical technique, the concentrations of the main components of the ethanolic extract of Indian cloves (eugenol and eugenyl acetate), and possible responsible for the repellent activity, in this homemade formulation. Our results corroborated the efficiency of this protocol to extract eugenol and eugenyl acetate and established the ideal conditions for extraction.Keywords: Eugenol; quantification; eugenyl acetate; repellent; indian cloves. ResumoO cravo-da-índia, Syzygium aromaticum [L] Merr. Perry et, é popularmente usado no tratamento de várias doenças. Uma utilização mais recente dessa especiaria no Brasil é uma formulação caseira, com base na extração de etanol dos botões florais secos de S. aromaticum, que se mostrou eficiente como repelente contra mosquitos. Aqui nós avaliamos por meio do desenvolvimento de uma técnica analítica utilizando CG, as concentrações dos principais componentes do extrato etanólico do cravo (eugenol e acetato de eugenila), possíveis responsáveis pela atividade repelente, nesta formulação caseira. Nossos resultados corroboram a eficiência deste protocolo para extrair eugenol e acetato de eugenila, e estabeleceu as condições ideais para extração, além da caracterização dos compostos.Palavras-chave: Eugenol; quantificação; acetato de eugenila; repelentes; cravo da Índia.

The rise of the mosquitoes-transmitted diseases, like dengue, zika and chikungunya in Brazil in the last years has increased concerns on protection against mosquitoes bites. However, the prohibitive prices of the commercially available repellents for the majority of the Brazilian population has provoked a search for cheaper solutions, like the use of the homemade ethanolic extract of Indian clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.) as repellent, which has been reported as quite efficient by the local press. In order to verify this, we performed here the quantification of the main components of this extract through high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)-densitometry and evaluated its efficiency as a repellent and its acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition capacity. Our results have proved HPTLC-densitometry as an efficient and appropriate method for this quantification and confirmed the repellency activity, as well as its capacity of AChE inhibition.