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Comparison of Plant Products and Pyrethroid-Treated Bed Nets for

Protection Against Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in GuineaBissau,
West Africa

Article  in  Journal of Medical Entomology · April 1999

DOI: 10.1093/jmedent/36.2.144 · Source: PubMed

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 Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39 – 52

Plant products used as mosquito repellents in

Guinea Bissau, West Africa

Katinka Pålsson a, Thomas G.T. Jaenson a,b,*

a
Department of Zoology, Uppsala Uni6ersity, Villa6ägen 9, S-753 26 Uppsala, Sweden
b
Medical Entomology, Department of Entomology, Swedish Uni6ersity of Agricultural Sciences,
Uppsala, Sweden

Received 8 July 1998; received in revised form 7 October 1998; accepted 8 October 1998

Abstract

By standardized interviews of people in 23 rural villages, in the Oio region of Guinea Bissau,
we collected data on which plant species and plant derived products or methods people use
to reduce mosquito biting activity.The following plants were used to reduce numbers of
mosquitoes indoors at night: fresh or smouldering Hyptis sua6eolens Poit. (Lamiaceae), smoke
of the bark of Daniellia oli6eri Rolfe (Caesalpiniaceae), smoke of the infructescence of Elaeis
guineensis Jacq. (Arecaceae), smoke of the seed capsules of Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth.
(Mimosaceae), smoke of the leaves of Azadirachta indica A.Juss. (Meliaceae) and Eucalyptus
sp. (Myrtaceae), fresh Ocimum canum Sims (Lamiaceae), and fresh Senna occidentalis (L.) Link
(Caesalpiniaceae). In two field experiments we estimated the ‘repellent activity’ of certain of
these plants and compared their efficacies with those of two commercially available mosquito
repellents, i.e. ‘positive’ controls. In the first experiment we tested: smouldering H. sua6eolens
(85.4% repellency); fresh H. sua6eolens (73.2%); burning of the bark of D. oli6eri (74.7%); and
smoke of the leaves of Eucalyptus (72.2%). In the second experiment we tested: smouldering
H. sua6eolens (83.6% repellency); fresh H. sua6eolens (66.5%); burning of the bark of D. oli6eri
(77.9%); smoke of the leaves of A. indica (76.0%); smoke of the infructescence of E. guineensis
(69.0%); fresh O. canum (63.6%); and fresh S. occidentalis; (29.4%). All the products tested,
except S. occidentalis were significantly more effective than the negative control. © 1999
Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Azadirachta; Daniellia; Guinea Bissau; Hyptis; Mosquito repellent; Plant products

* Corresponding author.

0001-706X/99/$ - see front matter © 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 0 0 1 - 7 0 6 X ( 9 8 ) 0 0 0 8 3 - 7
40 K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52

1. Introduction

Insecticidal or insect repellent chemical compounds have evolved as the plants’

defence against herbivores and can be found in almost all plants. A number of
plant species with high efficacy towards blood-sucking insects grow naturally in
tropical Africa (Berger, 1994; Berger and Mugoya, 1995; Curtis et al., 1991;
Jacobson, 1958, 1975, 1989; Jacobson and Crosby, 1971; Secoy and Smith, 1983).
Two such plants, i.e. Hyptis sua6eolens Poit. (Lamiaceae) and Daniellia oli6eri Rolfe
(Caesalpiniaceae) are traditionally used to reduce numbers of mosquitoes indoors at
night (Curtis et al., 1991). In Guinea Bissau and The Gambia many people utilize
the tree D. oli6eri by burning its bark and resins in order to reduce biting activity
indoors (Snow et al. 1987; Lindsay and Janneh, 1989; Bockarie et al., 1994; Pålsson
and Jaenson, 1999).
Many species of Lamiaceae are strongly aromatic and toxic to insects, e.g. Hyptis
and Ocimum spp. Species within these plant genera are used against stored product
pest insects and other pest insects (Singh and Upadhyay, 1993; Fatope et al., 1995;
Bekele et al., 1996, 1997). In both East and West Africa, e.g. Hyptis and Ocimum
spp. are commonly used against mosquitoes and to protect stored cereals from
damage by various insects (Lambert et al., 1985; Curtis et al., 1991; Singh and
Upadhyay, 1993; Fatope et al., 1995).
The main aims of these investigations were to explore which putatively mosquito-
repellent (or mosquito-killing) plants or plant products are used by different
societies in the Oio region of central Guinea Bissau and how these plants or plant
products are used; the villagers’ opinions about which anti-mosquito measures are
the most effective; and to evaluate, by collecting and counting mosquitoes landing
on human baits, the reduction in biting due to eight different test plant products
compared with untreated human baits (negative control) or baits with two com-
monly used commercial mosquito repellents (positive controls).

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Study area

The interviews were undertaken from the end of August to the end of September
1997, in 23 villages in the Oio region, central Guinea Bissau (Fig. 1). The climate
of the study area is Sudano-Guinean with one rainy season which usually lasts from
early June to early November. The study villages in the Oio region are inhabited
mainly by people from the ethnic groups Mandinga, Balanta, Balanta-Mané, Fula,
Manjaco, and Cassanca.

2.2. Inter6iews

One adult from each one of a total of 125 households, in the 23 villages, was
interviewed, according to a standardized questionnaire. The questions concerned:
K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52 41

Fig. 1. Map of the study area, Oio region, in Guinea Bissau.

42 K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52

(i) if mosquito repellents were used during the rainy season; and if so (ii) how often
they were used; (iii) if, instead, certain plants growing in the area were used as
mosquito repellents; (iv) which part of the plant was used, and how it was prepared;
(v) if plants or other mosquito repellents were used together with, or without bed
nets; (vi) if the putatively mosquito-repellent plants were used indoors or outdoors;
(vii) which anti-mosquito product was considered the most effective; and (viii) if
any persons used other measures against other blood-sucking insects.

2.3. Study design to e6aluate the natural anti-mosquito products used by people in
6illages in the Oio region

2.3.1. Experiment 1
Based on the interview data, we evaluated: (i) H. sua6eolens, smouldering on
charcoal; (ii) fresh plants of the same species; (iii) the smouldering bark of D.
oli6eri; and (iv) smouldering Eucalyptus sp. (Myrtaceae) leaves. These plant prod-
ucts were compared with (v) US 622®, i.e. ‘slow release anti-mosquito coils’
containing 0.3% w/w pyrethrins I and II; and (vi) MyggA®, a Swedish commercial
mosquito repellent, containing deet [diethyl-toluamide (= diethyl-methyl benza-
mide); 0.19 g/ml]. The experiment involved seven mosquito collectors, sitting on
chairs 12 m apart in a semi-circle. Six collectors were using one of the treatments
and one collector did not use any repellent, i.e. a negative control. The collectors
were dressed in shorts, T-shirts and shoes. Before each sampling session the
collectors washed their feet and legs with soap and water. Each repellent, if not
applied to the skin, was placed  0.3 m in front of the person. MyggA® was
applied according to the manufacturer’s advice, to the skin below the knees. This
experiment was performed on 7 days, between 9 and 22 September 1997, between
20:00 and 22:00 h. Treatments and collection sites were allocated randomly among
the seven collectors and were rotated nightly, thereby allowing each person to use
a different treatment each day and also permitting each person to use a particular
site only once. Thus, the changes of treatments and sites were aimed at compensat-
ing for any potential differences among the collectors’ catching ability and attrac-
tiveness to mosquitoes, and for any spatial differences in mosquito abundance. It
was not practically possible to change the sites according to wind direction.
However, throughout the experimental period there was little or no wind.
Mosquitoes which had landed on the feet and legs (below the knees), were caught
by the ‘bait’ ( = collector) who used a torch and a test tube. The mosquitoes were
transferred to a labelled plastic container, and were later counted and identified to
species or genus.

2.3.2. Experiment 2
We evaluated: (i) H. sua6eolens, smouldering on charcoal; (ii) fresh plants, of the
same species; (iii) the smouldering bark of D. oli6eri; (iv) fresh Ocimum canum Sims
(Lamiaceae); (v) fresh Senna occidentalis (L.) Link (Caesalpiniaceae); (vi) leaves
from Azadirachta indica A.Juss. (Meliaceae), smouldering on charcoal; and (vii) the
infructescence (i.e. the inflorescence in a fruiting stage) of the oil palm Elaeis
 K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52 43

guineensis (Arecaceae), smouldering on charcoal. These plant products were com-

pared with the same control products as in experiment 1. There were ten mosquito
collectors, including one who did not use any repellent, sitting on chairs 3 m apart
on a straight line. The repellents were tested as in experiment 1. Tests were
performed on 10 days, from 24 September to 10 October, between 20:00 and 22:00
h. Treatments and collection sites were allocated randomly among the ten collectors
and were changed nightly. On seven occasions a person in the team was replaced by
another person as a ‘substitute collector’. The collectors’ positions were also
changed according to the wind direction. They were sitting at a 90° angle in relation
to the wind, coming from the west or south-west. Mosquitoes which had landed on
the feet and legs (below the knees), were caught, stored, counted and identified in
the same way as in experiment 1. During five experimental days there was no or
very little water in the village so during those evenings, the collectors were unable
to wash themselves prior to the sampling sessions.

2.4. Statistical analyses

William’s mean number of mosquitoes collected, was calculated for the negative
control and for each anti-mosquito treatment tested. To evaluate the efficacy of
each anti-mosquito treatment in experiment 1, the log-transformed [log(x + 1)]
numbers of mosquitoes recorded were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance
(ANOVA) with replication. The difference between the collectors, their positions
and nights were analysed in the same manner. Tukey’s (HSD) test was used to
determine the significance of differences among the treatments, persons, positions
and nights. In experiment 2, a one-way ANOVA was performed. Mosquito
numbers recorded were treated as independent observations for ten independent
products. To test the effects on mosquitoes by the nine products compared with the
negative control Dunnett’s test was used. The median number of mosquitoes
collected for a particular treatment was used on two occasions as a substitute for
a missing number.
To calculate the percentage reduction in mosquito activity, % repellency, the
following formula was used: % Repellency= [(No. Control− No. Test product)/
No. Control]×100 (Sharma and Ansari, 1994).

3. Results

3.1. Inter6iew data

3.1.1. Usage of anti-mosquito measures in the Oio region

Traditional natural products against mosquitoes are commonly used by the
people in the Oio region (Table 1). A total of 68/125 (54.6%) households were using
plants to repel mosquitoes, and of these 37/68 (54.4%) were using plants in
combination with bed nets. Mosquito coils were used by 18/125 (14.4%) households
and 7/18 (38.8%) of these used coils together with bed nets. A total of 39/125
Table 1
44

Study villages in the Oio region

Date of inter- Village Population Ethnic group No. house- Proportion No. house- Plants used Usage of Usage of
view size of village holds inter- of village in- holds using as mosquito plants to- mosquito coil
viewed terviewed plant prod- repellent gether with
(approx. %) ucts (%) bed nets

28/8/97 Lotche 312 Fula, 20 75 5 (25) Hyptis 4 11

Mandinga,
Jacanca
1/9/97 Sau 798 Balanta 20 30 19 (95) Hyptis, 4 1
Parkia
2/9/97 Blassar 358 Balanta- 2 15 0
Mané
2/9/97 N’Denden 287 Mandinga, 10 42 6 (60) Daniellia 6
Balanta-
Mané
2/9/97 Libar 291 Balanta- 8 33 8 (100) Daniellia, 8 2
Mané Hyptis
3/9/97 Cossuba 183 Balanta- 1 4 0
Mané
4/9/97 M’Bunhe 875 Balanta 2 3 2 Eucalyptus
8/9/97 Bercobato 327 Mandinga 6 22 1 (17) Hyptis 1 1
9/9/97 Djabel 83 Balanta- 8 100 4 (50) Daniellia, 4
Mané Hyptis
9/9/97 Concoli 1046 Balanta- 4 5 0 (0)
Mané
11/9/97 Bantanjam 373 Mandinga 10 32 5 (50) Elaeis 2
K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52

11/9/97 Banjara 401 Fula, 10 30 7 (70) Hyptis 7

Mandinga
18/9/97 Mantita 465 Fula, 9 23 7 (78) Hyptis 0
Mandinga,
Manjaco
18/9/97 Cusarabá 763 Mandinga, 10 16 6 (60) Hyptis, Oci- 1 3
Manjaco mum, Senna
18/9/97 Manjau 947 Mandinga 4 5 0 (0)
 K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52 45

(31.2%) households were using bed nets only. The most commonly used traditional,
plant-based mosquito repellents are H. sua6eolens and D. oli6eri which were used by
53 and 14 households, respectively. In both experiments when testing smouldering
H. sua6eolens and D. oli6eri the reduction in biting was \ 74%. Using fresh H.
sua6eolens also resulted in a significant, although lesser, reduction in mosquito-
biting.
In the Balanta villages Quinaque and Biambi the people sometimes used H.
sua6eolens, although they ‘preferred mosquito nets or coils’. In the village M’ Bunhe
the people used Eucalyptus sp. by burning the leaves on the veranda outdoors. The
burning of leaves of A. indica, instead of using bed nets, was practiced in Embande,
one of the Balanta villages. In the Balanta village Cussaraba, O. canum and S.
occidentalis were sometimes used as a substitute for H. sua6eolens. The smoke of
burning infructescences of E. guineensis were used, both outdoors and inside the
houses, as a mosquito repellent, predominantly in the Mandinga village Bantanjam.
In May – June, during the beginning of the rainy season, people in the Balanta
village Sau used to burn the seed capsule of the tree Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth.
(Mimosaceae).
In five villages (Blassar, Cunte, Cossuba, M’Bunhe and Cumbule) few or no
complete interviews could be conducted. However, the village leaders stated that
‘nowadays all people in the village are using bed nets only and no plant products
against mosquitoes’ but, in the Balanta village Cumbule ‘mosquito coils were
sometimes used’. Before the beginning of the war in 1974 in the Balanta-Mané
villages Cunte and Djabel, fresh or burning H. sua6eolens and burning infructes-
cence of the oil palm E. guineensis were used as a mosquito repellent. In the Balanta
village Brufa H. sua6eolens is still used. Before 1995 H. sua6eolens was used in
Waque as a mosquito repellent. Since 1995 the village Waque is included in the
National Impregnated Bed Net Programme. Both fresh and burning H. sua6eolens
was used in the village of Binduro.
A total of 30/63 (47.6%) of the persons who were using plant-based repellents
including mosquito coils, stated that H. sua6eolens was the best repellent. D. oli6eri
and mosquito coils were each preferred by 11/63 (17.5%).

3.1.2. Measures against other blood-sucking insects

A common measure against bed bugs (Cimex) was to put the bed outdoors in the
sun. A total of 88/125 (70.4%) of the people applied this measure ‘regularly’, and
14/125 (11.2%) used commercial insecticides and ‘the sun’ against bed bugs. A total
of 20/125 (16%) of the households used the insecticides only. A few households
were using the same measure against bed bugs as against mosquitoes, namely H.
sua6eolens, S. occidentalis or O. canum.

3.2. Experiments

3.2.1. Anti-mosquito effecti6eness of products tested

The anti-mosquito activity of each product, in relation to the negative and
positive (deet, pyrethrins) controls are shown in Tables 2 and 3.
 46

Table 2
Total number and mean (Mw) number of mosquitoes collected in experiment 1, and the estimated reduction in mosquito activity (% repellency) compared
with the control

Anti-mosquito substance or plant No. sampling days No. mosquitoes

Total no. Mw* no./collection2 95% CI1 Repellency % P**

H. sua6eolens (fresh) 7 44 5.3a 3.1–8.6 73.2 B0.05

H. sua6eolens (smouldering) 7 36 2.9a 0.7–7.9 85.4 B0.001
Smoke of the bark of D. oli6eri 7 48 5.0a 2.4–9.5 74.7 B0.05
Eucalyptus sp. (smouldering leaves) 7 61 5.5a 2.2–12.2 72.2 B0.05
Mosquito coil (pyrethrins) 7 52 7.1ab 5.6–9.0 64.1 NS
MyggA® (deet) 7 28 2.7a 1.1–5.5 86.4 B0.001
Control 7 144 19.8b 15.6–25.0

* Mw, William’s mean.

** P, from comparison of mean value with mean of control based on Tukey’s test.
1
95% confidence interval.
2
Indices not followed by the same letter are significantly different (PB0.05).
K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52
Table 3
Total number and mean (Mw) number of mosquitoes collected in experiment 2, and the estimated reduction in mosquito activity (% repellency) compared
with the control

Anti-mosquito substance or plant No. sampling days No. mosquitoes

Total no. Mw* no./collection 95% CI2 Repellency % P**

H. sua6eolens (fresh) 10 62 5.3 3.5–7.9 66.5 B0.05

H. sua6eolens (smouldering) 10 39 2.6 1.1–5.0 83.6 B0.05
Smoke of the bark of D. oli6eri 10 52 3.5 1.6–6.7 77.9 B0.05
Smoke of the infructescences of E.
guineensis 91 57 4.9 4.0–7.8 69.0 B0.05
A. indica (smouldering leaves) 10 43 3.8 2.5–5.5 76.0 B0.05
O. canum (fresh) 10 88 5.75 2.6–11.7 63.6 B0.05
S. occidentalis (fresh) 91 113 11.15 7.4–16.5 29.4 NS
Mosquito coil (pyrethrins) 10 77 5.5 3.0–9.4 65.2 B0.05
MyggA® (deet) 10 55 4.35 2.5–7.2 72.5 B0.05
Control 10 187 15.8 10.4–23.8

* Mw, William’s mean

** P, from comparison of mean value with mean of control based on Dunnett’s test.
K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52

1
The median number of mosquitoes was used in the analyses as a substitute for a missing number.
2
95% confidence interval.
47
48 K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52

3.2.2. Experiment 1
The ANOVAs revealed that mosquito numbers differed among treatments (F=
5.26, df = 6, 36, P B0.001) and also among collectors (F= 2.86, df = 6, 36, PB
0.05). The estimated reductions in mosquito activity, i.e. repellency in relation to
the negative control among the treatments tested, based on the Tukey’s test, are
shown in Table 2.
Only one collector’s catching efficiency was significantly different (PB 0.05),
from those of the two collectors who caught the greatest mosquito numbers. There
were no differences in catching efficiency among the other collectors. No significant
spatial difference in mosquito abundance was observed (F= 0.39, df= 6, 36,
P=0.9). Differences in mosquito activity among the seven nights were observed
(F =2.74, df= 6, 36, P B0.05): the catch on the second night, when the highest
total catch of mosquitoes was recorded, was different from that of the last night
when few mosquitoes were caught (PB 0.05).

3.2.3. Experiment 2
There were differences in anti-mosquito activity among treatments tested (F=
4.04, df = 9, 90, P B 0.001). The estimated reduction in mosquito activity, and
comparison with the negative control, based on Dunnett’s test, are shown in Table
3.

3.3. Composition and abundance of mosquito species

3.3.1. Experiment 1
A total of 413 mosquitoes, 377 of which were identified to species or genus, was
collected. Most mosquitoes (67.6%) were Anopheles gambiae s.l. Giles or An.
pharoensis Theobald, the remainder being Aedes spp. (15.4%), Culex spp. (11.7%),
and Mansonia spp. (5.3%).

3.3.2. Experiment 2
A total of 773 mosquitoes, 758 of which were identified to species or genus, was
collected. Most mosquitoes, were An. gambiae s.l. (61.6%), the remainder being An.
pharoensis (24.4%), Culex or Aedes spp. (8.6%), or Mansonia spp. (5.4%).

4. Discussion

Our data suggest that H. sua6eolens and D. oli6eri are effective mosquito
repellents. These results conform to those of a previous experiment in which the
same plant species were tested indoors instead of outdoors (Pålsson and Jaenson,
1999). Regarding D. oli6eri, Lindsay and Janneh (1989) carried out experiment on
D. oli6eri outdoors in The Gambia and obtained results similar to ours. However,
Snow et al. (1987) could find no differences in any malaria parameters between
users or non-users.
 K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52 49

Eucalyptus sp. leaves are in Guinea Bissau used both outdoors and indoors as a
mosquito repellent. Comparison by Trigg (1996) of a new repellent based on the
lemon eucalyptus plant (E. maculata citriodon), containing as the main active
component p-menthane-diol, against mosquitoes suggested this new repellent to be
as effective as deet against An. gambiae and An. funestus Giles. Watanabe et al.
(1993) isolated a new compound, eucamol, and 4-isopropylbenzyl alcohol from E.
camaldulensis Dehnh. This new compound was compared with deet and proved to
be highly active against Aedes aegypti L.; after 3 h 75% of its repellency remained.
A. indica is well-known for its general insect and mosquito repellent properties.
The tree is widely used, especially in India, where it originates. It is now also
present in West Africa, including Guinea Bissau, where the burning of its fresh
leaves indoors is occasionally used against mosquitoes. Neem oil in kerosene lamps
has been tested in India as a mosquito repellent and for malaria control (Sharma
and Ansari, 1994; Ansari and Razdan, 1996). Kerosene oil containing 1% neem oil
resulted in the deviation of An. culicifacies Giles, from living rooms to cattle sheds,
followed by a reduced malaria incidence (Ansari and Razdan, 1996). For personal
protection neem oil (1 – 4%) mixed in coconut oil resulted in a protection of
81– 91% from bites of Anopheles mosquitoes, when tested in a forested village in
India (Mishra et al., 1995). Sharma et al. (1995) mixed 2% neem oil in coconut oil
and found it to be an effective mosquito repellent. Dua et al. (1995) tested neem
cream, also a repellent to be applied to the skin, against Aedes, Culex and
Anopheles mosquitoes; one application was about 70% effective for 4 h.
O. canum and S. occidentalis are occasionally used in Guinea Bissau as mosquito
repellents and as substitutes for H. sua6eolens. We found that O. canum has
stronger mosquito repellent properties than S. occidentalis. An extract of O. canum
has been tested in Tanzania and was effective against An. gambiae larvae (Lukwa,
1994). The essential oil contains eugenol and six terpenoid substances, and is an
effective mosquito repellent according to Chogo and Crank (1981). Linalool from
dry leaves, as well as powdered and intact dry leaves, of O. canum are effective
against post harvest damage by the beetle Zabrotes subfasciatus Bohemann
(Coleoptera: Bruchidae) (Weaver et al., 1991, 1994). In several studies, other
Ocimum species have been tested for efficacy in repelling stored product insects. In
tests to evaluate protection methods for maize and sorghum from major stored
product pest beetles and moths O. kenyense Ayobangira, O. sua6e Willd. and O.
kilimandscharicum Guerke proved to be effective (Jembere et al., 1995; Bekele et al.,
1996, 1997; Obeng-Ofori and Reichmuth, 1997; Obeng-Ofori et al., 1997). The oil
of O. sua6e was also found to repel and kill all active stages, from larva to adult,
of the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann (Mwangi et al., 1995).
S. occidentalis was the least effective plant against mosquitoes in this study,
having a non-significant effect on mosquito activity. However, in Guinea Bissau S.
occidentalis is widely used in traditional medicine (Andersen Mencagli, 1992). For
instance, various parts of the plant is used against fever, snake bites, conjunctivitis,
constipation, and cough (Andersen Mencagli, 1992).
Burning of the infructescence of the oil palm E. guineensis resulted in a 69.0%
protection from mosquitoes when tested on human bait. E. guineensis was used
50 K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52

regularly in one Mandinga village. In the early evening the infructescence is burned
outdoors, and after bed time (around 22:00 h) it is burned indoors. One advantage
is that the infructescence is a waste product, so by using it as a mosquito repellent
the plant is more fully utilized.
Burning the seed capsules of P. biglobosa for protection against mosquitoes, as was
done in one village, is another way of utilizing the different parts of a tree for different
purposes. Since it is normally used at the beginning of the rainy season, i.e.
May – June, the effect of P. biglobosa on mosquitoes was not tested in this study.
For US 622®, the catches recorded in experiments 1 and 2, corresponded to
reductions in mosquito activity of 64.1 and 65.2%, respectively. The mode of action
of the repellents tested, except MyggA®, may be comparable with that of mosquito
coils. All of the repellents tested except S. occidentalis have a greater protective effect
than 60%. A higher reduction in biting is desirable for repellents to be applied on
to the skin. MyggA®, had a 86.4 and 72.5% repellency in experiments 1 and 2,
respectively. The lower % repellency of MyggA® in experiment 2, may have been due
to the fact that the collectors were unable to wash their feet prior to five sampling
occasions. The repellency of fresh H. sua6eolens was also lower in experiment 2 than
in experiment 1 (66.5 vs 73.2%). Of the repellents tested, involving smoke, the %
repellency was not remarkably different in the two experiments.
Our results clearly demonstrate that several products of plants occurring in Guinea
Bissau have strong mosquito repellent properties. In both experiment 1 and 2, the
two plant species most commonly used against mosquitoes, H. sua6eolens and D.
oli6eri, were highly significantly effective against mosquitoes. Nearly 50% of the
people who are using plants or mosquito coils favoured H. sua6eolens. In both East
and West Africa, fresh or burning Hyptis spp. are used traditionally against
mosquitoes (Curtis et al., 1991). Nicholson and Lines (cited in Curtis et al., 1991)
showed that biting indoors by Culex quinquefasciatus Say, was reduced when young
specimens of H. sua6eolens were smouldering on a charcoal fire. Biting was less
reduced by burning other plants including neem, A. indica A.Juss (Meliaceae). Lines
and Curtis (cited in Curtis et al., 1991), and Pålsson and Jaenson (1999) reported
fresh H. sua6eolens to be less effective than burning H. sua6eolens to reduce mosquito
biting activity indoors, in East and West Africa, respectively.
Differences in attractiveness by humans to mosquitoes is a well known phenomenon
(Curtis et al., 1987; Lindsay et al., 1993; Knols et al., 1995). Differences in
attractiveness to mosquitoes, or catching ability, among the collectors were demon-
strated in experiment 1. However, the differences due to the products tested were
much greater than those due to the persons. The fact that similar results were obtained
in both experiment 1 and 2, support the idea that the plant products tested, except
S. occidentalis, have mosquito repellent properties.

Acknowledgements

We are especially grateful to Dr Francisco Dias, Director of The National Public

Health Laboratory and Sr Mario J. Gomes, LNSP, Bissau for their strong support
 K. Pålsson, T.G.T. Jaenson / Acta Tropica 72 (1999) 39–52 51

throughout these investigations. We are very grateful to Aase and Lorenz Paulsen,
Mansoa, Guinea Bissau, for their kind hospitality and for providing accommoda-
tion during the field work, to Jan Kowalski, Stockholm, Sweden, for expert advice
on statistical analyses, to Mariette Manktelow, Börge Petterson and Mats Thulin,
Uppsala University, for help with identification of plants from Guinea Bissau, and
to Dr Augusto Paulo, Ministry of Public Health, Guinea Bissau, for logistic
support. This work was financed by grants from The Swedish Natural Science
Research Council (NFR), The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida/
SAREC), The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SIIDC) and
Uppsala University.

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