For more than 50 years, pyrethroid insecticides have been one of the first lines of defense in preventing the transmission of diseases vectored by mosquitoes. However, there has been growing concern about the spread of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes, leading to a dire need of new technologies to prevent transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. A variety of topical insect repellents are currently available to reduce mosquito bites and may provide a level of personal protection by application to the skin or clothing. However, the development of effective spatial repellents could protect much larger areas, including houses, neighborhoods, and parks. Through millions of years of coevolution, plants have developed a wide array of natural products that prevent insect herbivory, and many of these compounds are potentially useful as mosquito repellents—this is exemplified by the common use of citronella and lemon eucalyptus oils as insect repellents. Using a biorational approach, several series of compounds were synthesized from volatile components of plant essential oils, and then tested for their ability to spatially repel mosquitoes, both in short-term (2.5) and long-term (7.5 hours) assays. Structural-activity relationships and diffusion modeling was used to evaluate the efficacy of repellents and to direct future synthesis.

Improvements to biorational mosquito repellents: Beyond simple monoterpenoid esters

2019 Fall National Meeting

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