Repellency potential of essential oils against housefly, Musca domestica L.

Abstract

In present study, the essential oils such as Mentha piperita (mentha oil, M.O), Cymbopogan citratus (lemongrass oil, LG.O), Citrus sinensis (orange oil, O.O), and Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus oil, E.O) were evaluated for repellency against housefly (Musca domestica) in a specially designed chamber. Further, to study any synergistic effect, essential oil combinations, i.e., M.O + LG.O, M.O + O.O, and M.O + E.O, were screened at 50:50 and 70:30 ratios. The results showed superior repellency of mentha and mentha + lemongrass (70:30) with RC₉₅ value of 0.009 μl/cm³. The other oils and combinations showed higher values of RC₉₅ (0.010–0.041 μl/cm³). The order of repellency was observed to be mentha = mentha + lemongrass (70:30) > mentha + lemongrass (50:50) = lemongrass = mentha + orange (50:50) = mentha + orange (70:30) > mentha + eucalyptus (70:30) > orange > mentha + eucalyptus (50:50) > eucalyptus. Chemical composition of selected essential oils indicated various monoterpenes as active components for efficient repellency. The essential oil of mentha marked the presence of menthol (38%) and menthone (27%) in major fractions, whereas citral (49%) was found dominating in lemongrass oil. Eucalyptus and orange oils showed the presence of 1,8-cineole (85%), and limonene (87%), respectively, as major components of oils. Further, monoterpenes (menthol and limonene) were also evaluated for repellency against housefly. The data showed 90 ± 5 and 60 ± 5% repellency from menthol and limonene, respectively, after 1 h, indicating the vital role of monoterpenes in overall efficacy of essential oil.