Plant-based products: Explore a way forward for mosquito’s management: A review

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) pose a serious threat to humans worldwide, known to transmit various pathogens that cause infectious diseases and arboviruses, which are viral diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever, malaria, elephantiasis, Murray Valley encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus, Highlands J virus, Everglades virus, and crosse encephalitis virus. The emergence of widespread insecticide resistance and the potential adverse environmental problems associated with synthetic insecticides have highlighted the need for alternative methods to control the spread of mosquito populations, making it an important research priority. Safe and innovative tools, such as plant-based repellents, have recently been implemented to enhance mosquito management strategies. Plant-based repellents play a crucial role in the development of natural products as alternatives to chemical control methods. Plant extracts and essential oils, which are biodegradable, target-specific, eco-friendly, and have potent effects against mosquitoes, are reviewed in this article. These plant-based repellents offer promising potential for effective mosquito management, providing a safer and environmentally friendly approach to control mosquito populations and reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Properly formulated and used in combination with other integrated vector management strategies, plant-based repellents can contribute to sustainable and effective mosquito control efforts. Keywords: Essential oils, dengue, repellents, malaria mosquito, bio-products, management, biocontrol.