Evolution, Current Status and Prospects of Phyto-Repellents against Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes enjoy wide geographical distribution and act as vectors for diverse pathogenic organisms from viruses to protozoans. Mosquito-borne diseases have a long history with some of them like Malaria dominating the scene for centuries. New diseases like Dengue fever, Zika viral disease etc. get added to the list from time to time. Vector control is an effective and widely accepted strategy in the management of mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquito repellents are an important product range extensively used for the management of mosquito-borne diseases. The research and development activities on mosquito repellents of plant origin have been reviewed in this article and classified into three categories like research reports, patents and commercial products, based on their outcomes. The relevance of plant-based mosquito repellents is discussed with reference to current societal and market trends. The review has revealed an increasing trend among researchers towards product development and entry of effective and innovative products into the market. The market analysis reports also confirm competitive advantage for herbal repellents in the coming years.