Volume 13, Issue 1, December 2012, Pages 33-47
[Mentha x piperita L. e suas potencialidades no controlo do vetor do dengue (Aedes aegypti L.). Revisão]
Centro de Estudos Farmacêuticos, Universidade
de Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba,
3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Abstract
Dengue is one of the
most fatal tropical diseases which affect 50-100 billion people/ year.
It is endemic in more than 100 countries and transmitted to humans by
the subcutaneous bite of the Aedes aegypti L, it can trigger different
symptoms like normal flu, hemorrhagic fever and shock. The eradication
of the vector adopted by global health authorities, like the elimination
of its habitat, the use of repellents and/or insecticides, fail to curb
the spread of the disease, which are expanding into non-endemic areas (Portugal). Vector is vulnerable to some herbal
products and scientific studies have considered them as a potential
alternative to the synthetic ones in use, to which the mosquito may
become resistant. Some of these herbs belong to native, spontaneous and
subspontaneous flora, resulting accessible to the population. Mentha x
piperita L, was chosen as example due to insecticide and repellent
properties of it essential oil. © Cita Publicaciones.
Author keywords
Aedes aegypti L.; Dengue; Essential oil; Insecticide and repellent; Mentha x piperita L.
