Novel development of natural product-based repellent

Authors: Zhu, Junwei - Jerry

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/28/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Repellent application has been considered as one of the most efficient ways to prevent disease transmission and the discomfort of insect bites. DEET is considered thus far the golden standard of an universal insect repellent, and it also has been claimed as the most extensively used personal arthropod repellent for seven decades. However, recently it has been frequently reported with several human health issues, particularly in negative responses from infants and pregnant women after DEET application or exposures. Plant derivatives and botanical insecticides acting as insect repellents have been used against arthropods for hundreds years in ancient world. But, many plant-based repellents are short-lived in their effectiveness (<2-4 hours), primarily due to their high volatility. The longest repellent effectiveness from many plant-based essential oils was reported less than a few hours. In this presentation, we report the finding of novel repellent compound(s) identified from coconut oil, which are also listed as a GRAS substances, not only repels multiple blood-sucking insects (biting flies, mosquitoes, ticks, bedbugs, etc), and also provides up to 2 weeks of longevity in repellent effectiveness which have never been discovered previously.