TRADITIONAL SOURCES OF MOSQUITO REPELLENTS IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

ABSTRACT Information was obtained over two-years, in randomly-selected villages across six states viz., Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Enugu and Rivers in southeast Nigeria, from key informants (herbalists) on plant species used as repellents against malaria vectors. Twenty-four species in 16 families were identified. The Verbenaceae yielded 5 species, the Meliaceae 3 species and the Malvaceae and Labiatae 2 species each. Duranta repens, Duranta plumeri (Verbenaceae) and Ocimum gratissimum (Labiatae) were the most widely used. Sida acuta (Malvaceae) was used in four states. The data were compared to plant species used in other countries across the globe as mosquito repellents; this showed that southeast Nigeria has a potential array of plant species that may be sources of plant-based malaria vector repellents.