Res Vet Sci. 2016 Dec;109:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2016.09.001. Epub 2016 Sep 9.
- 1Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507, 161 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
- 2Insect
Behaviour Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment,
University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
- 3Department of Parasitology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- 4Insect
Behaviour Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment,
University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic
address: benelli.giovanni@gmail.com.
Abstract
Ticks
transmit at least the same number or even more pathogens than any other
group of blood-feeding arthropods worldwide affecting humans and
animals. The eco-friendly control and management of tick vectors in a
constantly changing environment is a crucial challenge. Besides the
development of vaccines against ticks, IPM practices aimed at reducing
tick interactions with livestock, emerging pheromone-based control
tools, and few biological control agents, the extensive employment of acaricides and tick repellents
still remain the most effective and ready-to-use strategies. However,
the former is limited by the development of growing resistances as well
as environmental concerns. Exploiting plants and plant products as
sources of effective tick repellents and acaricides represents a promising strategy. In this scenario, the preservation of ethnobotanical
information on repellent and acaricidal potential of plants is crucial.
Here, we evaluated relevant information published in recent years,
focused on plants used as repellents and acaricides
against tick vectors in different regions worldwide. We selected a
total of 238 plant species, which are traditionally used against ticks
by native and local communities of Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe,
South Africa), Europe (Serbia, Macedonia, Romania), Asia (Pakistan,
India) and America (Brazil, Canada), from 56 families. However, only 7
families (i.e. Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae,
Meliaceae, Apocynaceae and Solanaceae) represent the major quote (46%)
of all plant species. We evaluated the differences in acaricidal and
repellent efficacy of different formulations used. In the final section,
implications arising from the surveyed anti-tick ethnobotanical knowledge and challenges for its future are discussed.
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Argasidae; DEET; Icaridin; Ixodidae; Lyme disease; Rickettsiales
