A Review on the Use of Essential Oil-Based Nanoformulations in Control of Mosquitoes

Abstract

It is estimated that one million deaths per year are caused by mosquito-borne diseases worldwide. While preventing such diseases is possible and, of course, more manageable than attended to treat patients. Prevention of these diseases is based on improving the environment (e.g., decreased stagnant water) and controlling mosquitoes in immature and adult forms. Resistances among mosquitoes, environmental pollution, and adverse effects on non-target species, such as humans, are some of the major disadvantages of using chemical insecticides. Essential oils (EO)s with a wide range of activities on mosquitoes, including ovicide effect, larvicide effect, pupicide effect, adulticide effects, and repellent effect, are proper alternatives for synthetic ones. However, their practical usage is questioned due to their volatility and lower efficiency than synthetic samples. In recent years, researchers have attended to overcome these challenges by formulating EOs into nanoformulations. In this study, existing reports on exploiting EO-based nanoformulations in mosquito control have been categorized as larvicides, repellents, and adulticides. Moreover, by discussing the reported results, the appropriate nanoformulations for each purpose have been suggested; polymeric nanoparticles are more suitable for larvicides, lipid nanocarriers are more suitable for repellents nanoemulsions are more suitable for adulticide.