Evaluation of Asparagus racemosus Root Extract and Eucalyptus Oil Formulations as Plant-Based Repellents Against Mosquitoes and Cockroaches
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The increasing resistance of insects to synthetic repellents and the associated health and environmental concerns have prompted the search for safe and sustainable alternatives. The present study evaluated the insect-repellent potential of Asparagus racemosus root extract (EARR) formulated with eucalyptus oil against mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) and cockroaches (Periplaneta americana). Roots were shade-dried, extracted with 70% ethanol, and subjected to phytochemical and GC-MS analysis, which revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolics, and bioactive compounds including stigmasterol, flavone, n-hexadecanoic acid, asparanin B, and shatavarin I. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 5.419 mg GAE/g and 3.515 mg QE/g, respectively. Herbal cream and spray formulations incorporating EARR with eucalyptus oil exhibited satisfactory physicochemical parameters including pH, spreadability, viscosity, washability, clarity, and stability under accelerated conditions. In repellency bioassays, the EARR + eucalyptus cream achieved 81.32% protection against mosquitoes at 30 minutes, maintaining 33.11% repellency at 180 minutes, compared to 11.92% for eucalyptus alone. Similarly, the herbal spray demonstrated 77.89% repellency against cockroaches at 30 minutes and 27.04% at 180 minutes, significantly outperforming the control spray. Molecular docking further revealed strong binding affinities of stigmasterol (–11.6 kcal/mol) and asparanin B (–11.5 kcal/mol) with insect acetylcholinesterase, suggesting a potential neuroinhibitory mechanism underlying the observed repellency. The findings validate A. racemosus as a promising botanical source for eco-friendly, effective mosquito and cockroach repellent formulations, supporting its integration into sustainable pest management strategies.
Author: Dr. Namburu Sree Lakshmi*, Pratap Veeresh Babu, T Venkata Shiva Sai Karthik, Nalluri Kavya Sri, Jagannagari Eshwar
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7083337693
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