Phytochemical Profiling and Bioactivity of Essential Oils Extracted From Mosquito-Repellent Plants

Phytochemical Profiling and Bioactivity of Essential Oils Extracted From Mosquito-Repellent Plants | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Phytochemical Profiling and Bioactivity of Essential Oils Extracted From Mosquito-Repellent Plants Daniel O. Ataire, Loveth Ezeh, Isaiah E. Eraboh, Francis A Ibekwe, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7552902/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This research investigates the extraction and characterization of essential oils from lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and scent leaf (Ocimum gratissium) , two plants known for their mosquito repellent properties. The essential oils were obtained using hydro-distillation and analyzed for their physico-chemical properties and chemical composition using ASTM standard methods and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that lemongrass oil had a higher specific gravity (1.027) and was dominated by fatty acid esters (64%) and diterpenes (21%), suggesting a slow-release profile suitable for long lasting repellency. In contrast, scent leaf oil exhibited higher volatile content (9.55%) and a chemically diverse profile, including monoterpenes (19.13%), sesquiterpenes (15.17%), and various fatty acids (33.57%), indicating strong immediate repellency. The chemical difference between both oils is linked to plant type, environment, and extraction conditions. Their combined use offers a synergistic solution for developing effective, natural mosquito repellents that provide both rapid and sustained action. This study highlights the relevance of essential oil profiling in formulating plant-based alternatives to synthetic repellents and calls for further toxicological and field efficacy studies to support commercial application. Essential oils Cymbopogon citratus Ocimum gratissimum Mosquito repellent Hydro-distillation Phytochemical characterization Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Insecticidal activity Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7552902","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":530794588,"identity":"9e1c7eb9-0378-4074-abc3-d184df6cd90c","order_by":0,"name":"Daniel O. 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