Synergistic Repellent and Irritant Effects of a Mixture of β-Caryophyllene Oxide and Vetiver Oil against Mosquito Vectors

Abstract

Repellents play a major role in reducing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases by preventing mosquito bites. The present study evaluated the mosquito-repellent activity of β-caryophyllene oxide 1% (BCO), vetiver oil 2.5% (VO), and their binary mixtures (BCO + VO (1:1), BCO + VO (2:1), BCO + VO (1:2)) against four laboratory-colonized mosquito species, Aedes aegypti (L.), Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Anopheles minimus Theobald, and Culex quinquefasciatus Say, using an excito-repellency assay system. In general, the compound mixtures produced a much stronger response in the mosquitoes than single compounds, regardless of the test conditions or species. The greatest synergetic effect was achieved with the combination of BCO + VO (1:2) in both contact and noncontact trials with An. minimus (74.07–78.18%) and Cx. quinquefasciatus (55.36–83.64%). Knockdown responses to the binary mixture of BCO + VO were observed for Ae. albopictus, An. minimus, and Cx. quinquefasciatus, in the range of 18.18–33.33%. The synergistic repellent activity of BCO and VO used in this study may support increased opportunities to develop safer alternatives to synthetic repellents for personal protection against mosquitoes.

Keywords

• β-caryophyllene oxide
• vetiver oil
• excito-repellency
• synergies
• avoidance behavior
• mosquito vectors