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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #355237
Research Project: Biting Arthropod Surveillance and Control

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: Repellent activity of monoterpenoid esters with neurotransmitter amino acids against yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Author
item NESTERKINA, MARIIA - Odessa Ii Mechnikov National University
item Bernier, Ulrich
item Tabanca, Nurhayat
item KRAVCHENKO, IRYNA - Odessa Ii Mechnikov National University

Submitted to: Open Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2018
Publication Date: 3/10/2018
Citation: Nesterkina, M., Bernier, U.R., Tabanca, N., Kravchenko, I. 2018. Repellent activity of monoterpenoid esters with neurotransmitter amino acids against yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Open Chemistry. 16:95-98. https://doi.org/10.1515/chem-2018-0015.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/chem-2018-0015

Interpretive Summary: Mosquitoes spread diseases to humans and other animals throughout the world. Personal protection from mosquito bites is one approach to reducing the risk of disease. Scientists from ARS collaborated with Ukranian researchers to test novel combinations of compounds based on plant products and and amino acids for their ability to prevent mosquito bites. Carvacrol and its ester of GABA ('-aminobutyric acid) were the most active repellent compounds compared to the standard repellent, DEET The outcomes of this study can be used by researchers to develop additional repellent blends that may one day provide better protection than DEET.

Technical Abstract: Repellent activity of monoterpenoid esters (1-6) with neurotransmitter amino acids (GABA and glycine) was investigated against Aedes aegypti by using a “cloth-patch” assay and compared to reference standard N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET). Monoterpenoid esters showed repellent activity with minimum e'ective dosages (MED) in the range of 0.031-0.469 mg/cm2. Carvacrol ester of GABA (2, MED of 0.031 ± 0.008 mg/cm2) exhibited the highest repellency in tested six monoterpenoid esters in comparison to the standard repellent DEET (MED of 0.009 ± 0.002 mg/cm2), however, the repellent activity of carvacrol-glycine ester (5) decreased 4-fold compared to carvacrol-GABA derivative (2). The repellent activity between menthol GABA (1, MED= 0.375 ± 0.000 mg/cm2) and glycine ester (4, MED=0.312 ± 0.063 mg/cm2) did not change much. The guaiacol-glycine ester (6) was 3.75-fold more repellent than the guaiacol ester of GABA (3). In the present study, we report repellent efficacy of prolonged GABA and glycine esters of menthol, carvacrol, guaiacol (1-6) and compared to their monoterpene moiety.