Bioefficacy ofMentha piperita essential oil against dengue fever mosquito Aedes aegypti L

ABSTRACT

Objective:To assess the larvicidal and repellent potential of the essential oil extracted from the leaves of peppermint plant,Mentha piperita (M. piperita) against the larval and adult stages of Aedes aegypti (Ae. Aegypti).Methods: The larvicidal potential of peppermint oil was evaluated against early fourth instar larvae ofAe. aegypti usingWHO protocol. The mortality counts were made after 24 and48 h, and LC50 and LC90values were calculated. The efficacy of peppermint oil as mosquito repellent was assessed using the human-bait technique. The measured area of one arm of a human volunteer was applied with the oil and the other arm was applied with ethanol. The mosquito bites on both the arms were recorded for3 min after every15 min. The experiment continued for 3 h and the percent protection was calculated.Results:The essential oil extracted fromM. piperita possessed excellent larvicidal efficiency against dengue vector. The bioassays showed an LC50 and LC90 value of111.9 and295.18 ppm, respectively after24 h of exposure. The toxicity of the oil increased11.8% when the larvae were exposed to the oil for48 h. The remarkable repellent properties ofM. piperita essential oil were established against adults Ae. aegypti. The application of oil resulted in100% protection till150 min. After next30min, only1-2 bites were recorded as compared with8-9 bites on the control arm.Conclusions:The peppermint essential oil is proved to be efficient larvicide and repellent against dengue vector. Further studies are needed to identify the possible role of oil as adulticide, oviposition deterrent and ovicidal agent. The isolation of active ingredient from the oil could help in formulating strategies for mosquito control.