Actividad repelente de formulaciones del aceite esencial de Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) en mosquitos/Repellent activity of essential oils formulations from Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) on mosquitoes

The study was carried out in order to evaluate the repellent activity of different formulations of Melaleuca quinquinervia Cav ST Blake oil, in laboratory and field conditions. Ethanolic, hydroalcoholic, and hydrophilic formulations were prepared in mineral oil and dipropylene glycol. In laboratory experiments the forearm was treated with 1ml of the repellent, and exposed against different Aedes aegypti strains by 3 minutes every half hour. The hand was protected or covered with a rubber glove. A positive protection trend was ob - served when the concentrations of the different formulations were increasing. The higher protection was observed (5 hours) in Aedes aegypti Santa Clara strain with 20% dipropyleneglycol oil formulations. These laboratory results were evaluated then in field conditions, obtaining average protection times of 1 ½ hours.