Documentation of Mosquito Repellant Plants from Fringe Villages of Manas National Park, Assam, India

Abstract

Background: Mosquito-borne diseases are among the common problems in developing countries. For centuries, herbal formulations have been used by tribal communities as medicines.A survey was carried out to document the insecticidal plants from fringe villages of Manas National Park. Materials and Methods: The survey was carried out from April to July 2020. The survey was conducted in a face-to-face manner with a ready-made questionnaire. Results: A total of 25 fringe villages were surveyed, and 57 informants were interviewed. Most of the informants were male (87%) and aged (>50 years old). A total of 24 plant species belonging to 18 families were recorded in the present study. Among the plant families, Solanaceae and Lamiaceae were the most famous families. Brassica rapa was the most popular plant with five citations, followed by Cinnamomum tamala and Nicotiana tabacum. Leaves were the most commonly used plant parts, followed by stems. The survey also reported that smokes, produced by burning plant parts, are the most commonly practised mode of use, followed by the rubbing of raw juices of plant parts to repel mosquitoes by fringe villagers of Manas National Park. Conclusion: With a solid ethnobotanical knowledge system supported by scientific evidence, the present study may be used by researchers to explore further the insecticidal and mosquitocidal activities of the plants.