Larvicidal and Repellent Activity of Mentha arvensis L. Essential Oil against Aedes aegypti

Abstract

Dengue is one of the most dangerous vector-borne diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The use of mosquito repellents to protect human hosts and insecticides to reduce the mosquito population is a crucial strategy to prevent the disease. Here, we reported larvicidal and repellent activities of Mentha arvensis L. essential oil against Aedes aegypti, the main vector of the disease. The essential oil was extracted by hydro-distillation from the aromatic plant grown in Vietnam. The yield was 0.67% based on the weight of fresh leaves. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main components were menthol (66.04%), menthyl acetate (22.19%), menthone (2.51%), and limonene (2.04%). Toxicity test on Aedes aegypti larvae showed that the median lethal concentrations, LC50 and LC90 were 78.1 ppm (part per million) and 125.7 ppm, respectively. Besides, the essential oil showed excellent repellency on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. At 25%, 50%, and 100% concentration, the respective complete protection times (CPTs) were 45 min, 90 min, and 165 min. When adding 5% vanillin to the essential oil (25%), the complete protection time of the essential oil increased up to 120 min. In conclusion, the EO from Mentha arvensis L. has been shown to be a promising natural larvicide and repellent against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Bioactivity and safety evaluations of Cupressus sempervirens essential oil, its nanoemulsion and main terpenes against Culex quinquefasciatus Say

“…In related reports, C. sempervirens EO exerted repellent bioactivities against Aedes albopictus mosquito (Giatropoulos et al 2013). Developing eco-friendly, effective and nontoxic mosquito repellents mainly based on very low concentrations of natural products has garnered renewed interest; thus, the excessive reliance on broadly toxic chemical pesticides can be minimized (Nenaah 2014;Benelli et al 2018;Benelli and Pavela 2018b;Manh and Tuyet 2020).…”

“…The repellence assay was performed according to a bioassay based on the application of the test materials to a membrane used to feed blood-starved mosquitoes in a 1-ft cage (Manh and Tuyet 2020). EO materials were bio-assayed at 0.75~6 μg/cm 2 .…”

“…Thus, the chances of pests developing resistance to such materials are less likely (Isman 2015;Benelli and Pavela 2018a, b;Garay et al 2020). Undoubtedly, EOs and their bioactive components, especially monoterpenes, are good examples as biorational pest control options, as many of them have shown promising bioactivities against harmful insects, including mosquito vectors (Karr and Coats 1988;Benelli and Pavela 2018a, b;Benelli et al 2018;Bortolucci et al 2019;Hung et al 2020;de Souza et al 2020;Manh and Tuyet 2020;Lima et al 2021;Nakasen et al 2021;Felix et al 2021;Pavela et al 2021a, b). The genus Cupressus (Cupressaceae) includes plants that are widespread in North America, the Mediterranean Basin and the subtropical western part of Asia, including Saudi Arabia (Rguez et al 2018).…”

Identification of Bioactive Compounds against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) by Bioassays and in Silico Assays

“…Some studies indicate plants′ effective repellent properties against mosquitoes such as citronella oil, lemongrass, and eucalyptus [10] . State that the use of essential oil has been widely and empirically practiced among Mediterranean people for centuries, in such a way that plant essential oils (e. g., Cymbopogon and Eucalyptus genera) are universally accepted and used as mosquito insecticides by the current industry [11] …”

Special Issue: Natural Substances against Insect Pests: Assets and Liabilities

“…In detail, this SI includes studies on the bioactivities of some essential oils, such as Origanum vulgare [1], Citrus reticulata, Melaleuca alternifolia [2], Mentha arvensis [3], Cymbopogon citratus, C. winterianus, Eucalyptus citriodora, and E. camaldulensis [4]. These essential oils have been tested as insecticides and/or repellents against different Diptera species, from the pathogens carrying blowfly Calliphora vomitoria [1] and the mosquito Aedes aegypti [3,4] to the fruit fly Drosophila suzukii [2], demonstrating broad efficacy. One of the latest trends and challenges in the bioinsecticides field is the use of plant extracts obtained by the maceration of vegetal organs in a variety of organic or aqueous solvents.…”