Development of mosquito repellant gel formulations from various natural volatile oils: comparative study with the marketed formulation odomos®

Abstract

DEET based mosquito repellents were found to be comparatively harmful to the person suffering from urea cycle disorders such as ornithine transcarbamylase (OTD) deficiency and, are therefore, contraindicated in individuals. These situations lead to the budding necessity of natural mosquito repellents which will have inexpensive, effectual, non-toxic, environment-friendly, and biodegradable attributes. Inspired from the upcoming global need, a carbopol 940 based mosquito repellant gel formulation was prepared from the essential oils of Cymbopogon nardus, Murraya Koenigii, Cymbopogon citratus, Tridax procumbens, Eucalyptus globules, and Azadirachta indica, and further evaluating them for their appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, swelling index, and accelerated studies. The mosquito repellent potential was evaluated and simultaneously compared with the positive control (Odomos®). In several developing nations, where the majority of the people do not have access to mosquito net, high-cost mosquito repellant creams, and miscellaneous physical methods, this gel formulation may be an effective, inexpensive, and easily accessible way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, dengue, etc. in the lower sections of the society. Keywords: Mosquito, Repellent, Malaria, Gel, Formulation, DEET.