NATURAL MOSQUITO REPELLENTS PRODUCTION: AN ENTERPRISE IN THE LIFE SCIENCES AND A COMPLEMENTARY FOR MALARIA VECTOR CONTROL INTERVENTION

Abstract

Mosquito-borne diseases primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus is of significant concern worldwide and pose serious threats to global public health, and the use of insecticides is a common method for controlling mosquito populations. However, the widespread use of synthetic insecticides has raised environmental and health concerns. The conventional use of chemical insecticides to control these vectors is becoming increasingly ineffective due to rising insecticide resistance and environmental concerns. In response, natural products from nature (biopesticides) for vector mostly essential oils (EOs) derived from aromatic plants, plant seed oils and plant leaves have raised growing interest as natural, eco-friendly alternatives, owing to their volatile bioactive compounds with broad-spectrum repellent and insecticidal properties and owing to the natural origin. chemical compositions, bioactivity profiles, and mechanisms of action. Notably, compounds such as monoterpenes (e.g., citronellal, thymol, and carvacrol) and sesquiterpenes (e.g., β-caryophyllene), particularly from plant families like Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, and Myrtaceae, have demonstrated significant repellent activity, sometimes comparable to synthetic agents like N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) under laboratory conditions. However, the high volatility of these compounds limits their long-term efficacy. The development of plant-based mosquito repellent insecticides has the potential to provide a safe and sustainable solution for controlling mosquito populations and reducing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. In this review, natural mosquito repellents production as an enterprise in the life sciences and a complementary for malaria vector control intervention was expatiated.