Chemical Composition and Repellency of Origanum vulgare Essential Oil against Cimex lectularius under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

Background: The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius), a nocturnal blood-feeding ectoparasite, is considered an urban pest with public health importance in human environments. We aimed to determine the repellency effect of oregano essential oil, Origanum vulgare, against this pest under laboratory conditions.
 Methods: The essential oil was prepared from dried leaves using hydro-distillation method. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) was used for analysis and identification of oregano essential oil compounds. Treated surface method in Petri dish was carried out to evaluate repellency potential of the oil using 4th and 5th instar nymphs and adults. The concentration-repellency response of oregano essential oil was calculated and compared with a commercial insect repellent stick containing 33% N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET).
 Results: The oregano essential oil consisted of 158 compounds with terpineol (22.85%) and α–terpinene (20.60%) being the major components by volume. The EC50 and EC99 of oregano oil (effective concentrations causing 50% and 90% repellency of bed bugs) were 1.61 and 6.57mg/cm2 at 9h after application, respectively. The 40% oregano es­sential oil exhibited 100% repellency against bed bug at 3, 5, 9 and 24h after application while the repellency index of DEET 33% was 100% at 3 and 5h and it decreased to 80% and 27% at 9 and 24 hours.
 Conclusion: Oregano oil 40% exhibited more repellency compared to commercial insect repellent stick containing 33% DEET. Further studies are warranted to confirm the effectiveness of oregano essential oil in personal protecting against bed bug biting.

Effects of Resident Education and Self-Implementation of Integrated Pest Management Strategy for Eliminating Bed Bug Infestation in Ahvaz City, Southwestern Iran

“…The bed bugs (Cimex lectularius and C. hemipterus) as blood-sucking insects have become a serious pest and public health problem in urban communities throughout the world. They affected human health through blood feeding that can lead to pain, itching, secondary infections, loss of sleep, psychological distress and other allergic responses to humans (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8).…”

Efficacy and repellency of some essential oils and their blends against larval and adult house flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae)

“…The literature on insecticidal properties of botanicals, mainly EOs, is vast and expanding rapidly. Early research on these botanicals focused on pests of crop systems, but recently there has been strong interest in their application against pests of medical and veterinary importance, including mosquitoes (Khater and Shalaby , Govindarajan et al a,b, Muturi et al ), ticks (Abbas et al , Benelli and Pavela ), sucking lice (Khater et al , Greive and Barnes , Soonwera et al ), biting lice (Khater et al ), bed bugs (Sharififard et al , Gaire et al ), horn flies (Mullens et al , Zhu et al ), stable flies (reviewed in Showler ), primary screwworms (Chaaban et al , Tavares et al ), botflies (Khater et al , Khater ) and other myiasis‐causing flies (Khater and Khater ; Khater et al , Chaaban et al ). Prior to World War II, mosquito repellents were primarily plant‐based, with oil of citronella being the most widely used product and the standard against which others products were compared (Moore et al ).…”

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Bed Bug Infestation (Cimex lectularius) as a Public Health Insect in Iran (1995 – 2019)

“…In recent years, the bed bug infestations have been reported from all over the world, in areas such as Europe (Italy, England, France, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Scandinavia), the Americas (The US, Brazil), Asia (China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwait, Iran), Africa (Nigeria), and Australia (8).…”

“…The reactions, including itching skin, papules, blisters, and nodules were observed on the forearm of Iranian man who lived in the southwest of Iran (13). Some green pesticides like Oregano oil can protect against the individual blood feeding activity of the nocturnal insect (8).…”