ARS | Publication request: Research on New Repellents

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 9, 2009
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: The USDA has conducted testing of repellents and toxicants for the past 60 years. The number examined exceeds 30,000 compounds. By examining subsets of these compounds, we hope to develop models and discover new chemicals for personal protection and control of mosquitoes. The primary focus thus far has been on the discovery of novel repellents. Using subsets of acylpiperidines and carboxamides, predictive models were developed that led to the synthesis of novel compounds. The compounds were evaluated using a “cloth patch assay” with human volunteers to determine the duration of repellency efficacy. A total of 29 acylpiperidines and carboxamides repelled mosquitoes from biting for durations longer than the repellency afforded by DEET. Ten of the acylpiperidines repelled bites for over 50 days at the 25 µm dose compared to 7 days repellency for DEET at this dose. These repellents are currently being evaluated against other arthropods of medical importance.