Isabela State University

Ilagan Campus
Ilagan City, Isabela
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, AND TECHNOLOGY
Department of Engineering S. Y 2023-2024

The Effectiveness of Lemon Grass Oil as an Alternative Insect Repellent

A Hypothesis Proposal
Presented to:
Mr. Jake B. Macarubbo

In Partial Fulfilment
Of the Requirement for the Subject
Science, Technology and Society (GEC 6)

By:
Magundayao, Jonald A.
Fillon, Jhoemhar
Sumisim, Al Peter

INTRODUCTION

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 This study aims to create an effective repellent that can be equal to commercially sold
ones. The oil is made out of lemongrass, herbs that are easy to grow and take care of.
Because of the existing insect related diseases, the researchers wanted to be able to make a
product which is affordable, or can be made by the populace. The herb lemongrass has a lot
of benefits. It can be antibacterial, a pain reliever and many more. It can also be used in
cooking, specifically in Asian cuisine.

.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERAURE

Essential oil is the vaporous oil from a part of a plant. According to nicnas.org, it usually
carries the odor or flavor of the plant. Essential oil is extracted from a plant through the
process of distillation.

Distillation is the process in where the essential oil is converted into vapor, then back to a
liquid—which is the most popular method in producing essential oils. Another way is to use
expression, which is a cold pressed version of extraction. Another one is solvent extraction,
which is where solvents are used to obtain the essential oils. (essentialoils.co.za)

A different method is the use of carbon dioxide. As stated by naha.org, the main
concept of the method is to “put carbon dioxide into pressure and it will turn from gas into
liquid, then can be used as an inert liquid solvent, which is able to diffuse through plant
material, thus extracting its aromatic components”. It is an expensive method, and has few
information concerning safety and therapeutic benefits.

There are more than 90 essential oils, with each of them having different qualities.
Each has different benefits because of their different sources, organicfacts.net says. But these
oils should be taken with the correct dose because side effects may appear. It is better if one
consults a medical partner before use, the article says.

Examples of some types of essential oils are basil, chamomile and cedar. Eucalyptus,
fennel and ginger are also types of essential oils that have benefits for medical and other uses.
Other types include lavender, lemon balm and lemongrass. (alembics.co.nz)

Most essential oils are also used for perfumes. The kind of essential oils which have
swe-et fragrances. Most of them are extracted from flowers, rather than leafy plants.
(snowlotus.org)

Based on the article of the Department of Export Agriculture of Sri Lanka

(exportagridept.gov.lk), the oldest text about lemongrass oil was found in the Philippines. It
was presented to the Jamaicans at 1799, while at 1917 it was introduced to Haiti and the
USA. It was used for research purposes in Sri Lanka with lemongrass plants from South
India.

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Lemongrass was also used for Asian cuisine long ago. It was valued by Asian countries for a
long time, used in everyday life before (laundry, medicinal purposes, etc.). In Central Africa
lemongrass has also been used for divinatory purposes as an aphrodisiac. (starchild.co.uk)

In traditional Brazilian medicine, lemongrass was also used. The herb was popular for
tr-aditional use in Asian countries and the Caribbean. Used as tea, a spice, or for cosmetics.
(herbealextractplus.com)

Lemongrass is a tropical plant. Therefore it grows well in tropical countries. It only

has to be watered well in summer and kept moist in winter. (which.co.uk)

The lemongrass plant can grow as tall as 3 feet, so there should be a given space. As it
is grass, it prefers “moist but free draining soil” as said by allotment-garden.org. They can
also be grown in large pots, although repotting may be necessary.

To harvest lemongrass, the stems should be cut at ground level or to twist or pull off
an outside stem to the side. Lemongrass can be harvested at any length, if the stalks have
reached ½ inch thick. Lemongrass can be frozen up to 6 months. (nassau.ifas.ufl.edu)

As stated by organicfacts.net, some health benefits that lemongrass oil gives is that it
is analgesic, meaning they relieve pain. The oil is also an anti-depressant, at the same time
antibacte-rial. It can also be used as a deodorant, better than synthetic deodorants as it is
herbal, unlike syn-thetic deodorants that can trigger skin allergies.

Healthers.org says that lemongrass can also be used for skin care. It is effective in
helping skin issues such as acne. It improves in brightening the skin and clears up oil on the
face. It is also used for high fevers, as it lowers the temperature. It has been called
‘fevergrass’ by some cultures because of its effect in lowering fever temperature.

Lemongrass can relieve symptoms of jetlag, headaches and stress related conditions.
It helps fight nervous breakdowns. It is also useful in sore throat and laryngitis. It also lessens
excessive perspiration and prevents spread of infectious diseases. (essentialoils.co.za)

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 INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

 Lemon grass oil concentration  Insect repellency

 Make the lemon grass oil into a  Must know if it is effective and if
repellent not, find out how to improve the
 Finnd a tester repellent to be effective
 Observe if the lemon grass oil is
effective

HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY

If the lemon grass will be extracted its natural components, and observe it by applying
the lemon grass over a subject that can easily approach by insects, then if it repels the
insects away, it is to be an effective natural insect repellent.

RESEARCH DESIGN
In this study we propose a theoretical framework. This framework aims to explore
whether the use of lemon grass oil as a repellent is effective. Our goal is to create an effective
repellent that can be equal to commercially sold ones. The primary focus is to know if the
lemon grass oil is effective or not. Particular attention will be directed examining the factors
that influence the effectiveness of it.

PREDICTED OUTCOME
Based on the findings, lemon grass oil is effective to drive away mosquito. Due to the
results gathered, we, the researchers concluded that lemon grass repellent perfume is effective
in repelling the deadly mosquitoes. The product could be a great help to the industry and also
to the consumers.

SUPPORTING STUDIES
Lemongrass can relieve symptoms of jetlag, headaches and stress related conditions. It
helps fight nervous breakdowns. It is also useful in sore throat and laryngitis. It also lessens
excessive perspiration and prevents spread of infectious diseases. (essentialoils.co.za)

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 The essential oil of lemongrass contains citral. Citral is a yellow liquid that has a
strong lemony smell. Citral is mostly used for perfumes and flavorings. (britannica.com)
Based from an article by essentialoils.co.za, some of the other components of
lemongrass oil are myrcene, and citronellal. Citronellal is the chemical compound that gives
citronella oil a distinguishable scent. While mycrene is a natural organic compound.
From the Weed Science Society of Pakistan (wssp.org.pk), it is stated that the
components of lemongrass oil varies with where they were planted. For example, Japanese
lemongrass oil contains 60-70% of citrol and in Vietnam, their lemongrass oil contains 80-
85% of citrol. But most components of lemongrass oil would be citral, methyl heptenone and
citronellol.
400 million years ago, scorpions, centipedes and millipedes have been the earliest species to
walk on land and breathe air. These animals have the oldest insect fossils and because of that,
biologists believe that the insects that are alive today may be the evolved creatures 400
million years back. A study was held by The Royal Society that says that insects mutate and
evolve time after time. The theory says that a modern worm has grown several legs, then the
head and body followed. Some body parts may have disappeared or were evolved and
replaced. These animal's brains can evolve as well.
Insects are known as the small species on earth that can be found in all aspects of the en-
vironment and natural resources. According to the Natural History Museum, insects have
appro-ximately 1.5 million separate species known and represents the 80 percent of the
world’s species, probably there are millions more that have yet to be found.
Based on The New Ecopsychology or Spiritual Ecology, some species live in minutes, hours
and days such as mayflies and bagworm moths. Beetles, queen bees and female ants can live
up in years and can grow in a maximum population but domestic bees and male ants last for
days, after copulation (sexual intercourse) they die.
“We humans are such a self-centered species that we seldom stop to acknowledge or app-
reciate the importance of other living organisms in our environment.” Based on this said
statement by John R. Meyer, humans have only focused on the importance of their own lives,
and aren't fully aware of the capabilities of other species roaming on Earth. Since insects
dominate and cover up almost all of the world’s species, they are usually competitors when it
comes in food, shelter and other natural resources. They chew plants and crops cultivated by
farmers and destroy wooden building materials, causing some decrease in the resources of
humans. A change in climate can also result in increase of insect related diseases.
Along with West Nile Virus (WNv) and other insect-borne diseases, it is given that spraying
is not an effective and efficient way to prevent death and illness. Pesticides are neurotoxic
(poisonous to nerve tissue, to the brain or spinal cord) and have been linked to cancer and
other illnesses. People with health problems are vulnerable to these pesticides and will suffer
from exposure. (www.beyondpesticides.org)
Another article from the Insect Issues from Clermont Country Ohio states that a new
discovery of an Asian Longhorned Beetle was cited as source of new infestation. The APHIS
(Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) and the ODA
(Ohio Department of Agriculture) are surveying around the areas to determine the extent of

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the infestation. They found perfectly round exit holes made by the beetle on tree trunks and
branches where there were female beetles’ eggs. And so, the APHIS began removing trees
infested with the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) in order to prevent the spread of the
destructive insect.
The University of New Hampshire states that not all insects are to blame in destroying plants
and other resources. Wilted plants don’t necessarily mean that pests, locusts and other insects
did the damage. It might be a disorder caused by air pollution, drought and nutritional
deficiencies. But animals such as chipmunks, woodchucks, raccoons or even humans might
be the ones responsible for this.
In healthvermont.gov, it is said that repellent products are applicable to use and will provide
sufficient protection for the time that they are used. But some products do not offer that
length of protection. The components of insect repellents are DEET, the most effective and
long-lasting ingredient used to repel insects are Picaridin, (oil of lemon eucalyptus which is
applicable in both lotion and spray insect repellents) and IR3535 (Aminopropionic Acid)
which contains alcohol creates a fragrance to emit a pleasant and sweet smell of the repellent.
This is a main reason why insects have a short life span. These ingredients have chemical
substances that children can-not handle. However, using natural ingredients such as oil in
lemon eucalyptus, citronella and lemongrass are the safest and can be used in lotion and other
products.
Insect repellents are usually used to avoid insect bites and to keep away from your skin and
clothing. As said by the healthvermont.gov, natural insect repellents are safer than DEET
components of a repellent. It is placed in naturalinsectrepellent.net that the benefits of natural
insect/mosquito repellent such as catnip, citronella, lavender and black pepper is that they can
drive insects away. Because of their sweet and strong smell, herbs that contain these essential
oils and other components that the insects dislike are effective in keeping the insects away, it
is safe to say that children (that use these natural repellents) can play in their backyard and
can do activities outdoors without worrying about insect bites.
Tick bites from insects can make people such as children become very sick. But because of
insect repellents, we could protect ourselves from harmful insects, isolate ourselves away
from them and we will be safe as long as they are used safely and correctly. One way to apply
the repellent correctly is to read labels for any warnings, to know more information about the
product and to see the ingredients it contains. The repellents cannot be applied on cuts,
wounds and sensitive skin because it can cause infection and can trigger skin allergies.
Repellents are not to be applied on food, on the face, eyes and mouth as well.
(www2.epa.gov)
In medieval times, dirt or stone floors were typically covered with 'rushes' straw and reeds
that would soften the flooring and absorb the spills of messy daily life. A householder would
typically include aromatic herbs in an attempt to overpower the nastier odors of animals and
effluvia. These were known as 'strewing herbs' because they were strewn on the floor.
Many of the herbs selected had an additional benefit of serving to discourage or even kill
encroaching insects. These include basil, fever few, lavender, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage,
tansy, thyme and wormwood. Sage and oregano can also repel rats. (www.essortment.com)

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 It would be thought odd if floors were strewed with herbs, but it can achieve many
of the insect repelling effects with much less mess. Hanging bunches of these herbs to dry in
windows will keep flies away. To keep ants from entering houses, creating a decoction of
walnut leaves (boil the leaves for twenty to thirty minutes) and then drizzling the 'tea' around
the perimeter can help. (www.ottawamommyclub.ca)
The review of literature for this study focuses on the benefits of using homemade organic
insecticide and its effects. Homemade organic insecticide using lemongrass oil, with its
pleasing aroma and overall effectiveness, lemongrass oil has become one of the most popular
of all-natural insect repellents.5emongrass oil, which is closely related to citronella, repels a
greater variety of pests than most natural8one-scented8 oil mixtures.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The following are the findings based on the data gathered:
Lemon grass oil is an essential oil used in deodorants, herbal teas, skin care products,
fragrances, insect repellents, and for aromatherapy. Lemon grass and closely related species
belonging to the genus Cymbopogon are popular used as insect repellents and various
experimental studies support its use as an insecticide of insect repellant. Lemon grass is an
important essential oil yielding plant. The plant yields lemon grass oil of commerce after
steam distillation of its leaves. And this oil used as insect repellent. One of the important
constituent of the oil is citral. Citral is therefore an aroma compound used in perfumery for its
citrus effect. Citral is also used as a flavor and for fortifying lemon oil. It also has strong
antimicrobial qualities, and pheromonal effects in insects.

Citral has a toxic effect on the sensory nervous system in insect antennae that affect the
behavior and physiology of insects. And another important constituent of lemon grass oil is
the citronella. Citronella oil is also renowned plant-based insect repellent, and has been
registered for this use in the United States since 1948. The United States Environmental
Protection Agency considers oil of citronella as a biopesticide with a non-toxic mode of
action. And this biopesticide are naturally occurring substance that control or directly kill or
inactive the insects or pests especially the mosquito. With these two constituents of lemon
grass, it can repel the insects away and protect us from insect bites and vector- borne disease.

CONCLUSION
We, the researchers therefore conclude that lemongrass oil can be an effective alternative for
commercially sold insect repellents because of the following:

1. The goal of the research was achieved by the product.

2. The product has successfully repelled the insects during the test.
3. The effectiveness of the oil was able to be on par with commercially sold insect
repellents.

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