THE EFFICACY OF BASIL (OCIMUM BASILICUM) AND RAMBUTAN (NEPHELIUM LAPPACEUM L.) LEAF AS A MOSQUITO COIL

Abstract

Diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and Zika virus infection are transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes and remain prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. Dengue fever, in particular, continues to be a persistent public health concern in the Philippines. Commercially available mosquito coils often contain chemical components that may be harmful to human health. For this reason, this study aimed to develop a mosquito coil that is safe and free from harmful chemicals. Plant-based mosquito coils are considered safer alternatives, as they do not contain toxic substances. Basil (Ocimum basilicum) and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) leaves contain chemical compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and essential oils that have potential mosquitocidal properties. This study analyzed the effectiveness of mosquito coils prepared from basil (Ocimum basilicum) and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) leaf extracts in comparison with a commercially available mosquito coil (Baygon) and a formulated mosquito coil without extract. The experimental design consisted of three treatment groups: plant-based mosquito coil, commercially available mosquito coil, and formulated mosquito coil without extract. For each trial, two cages containing ten mosquitoes each were used, and mosquito behavior was observed for ten minutes. Mosquito mortality and repellency were recorded during the trials. Frequency counts, percentages, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to determine whether significant differences existed among the efficacies of the three mosquito coil types. The combined basil and rambutan leaf extract mosquito coil demonstrated a mosquito mortality rate of 60%, which was higher than that of the commercially available mosquito coil at 30%. The formulated mosquito coil without extract resulted in no mosquito mortality. In terms of knockdown time, the plant-based mosquito coil outperformed both the commercially available and non-extract coils, killing mosquitoes within six minutes. Additionally, both the plant-based and commercially available mosquito coils achieved 100% repellency, while the non-extract coil showed only 60% repellency. However, the commercially available mosquito coil exhibited faster initial repellency compared to the plant-based and non-extract coils. The findings indicate a significant difference in the efficacy of basil (Ocimum basilicum) and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) leaf extract mosquito coils compared to commercially available mosquito coils. The plant-based mosquito coil demonstrated both repellency and mosquitocidal effects, attributed to the bioactive compounds present in the plant extracts. While commercially available mosquito coils provided faster repellency, the plant-based coil exhibited longer-lasting effectiveness in repelling and killing mosquitoes.