Essential oil of Citrus family plant is known to have repellent effect against mosquito. Unfortunately, due to its high volatility effect, its repellency effect was compromised. The incorporation of essential oil in a microencapsulation formulation has been shown to help improve the stability and potency of the repellent. In this study, Citrus grandis peel oil (CGPO) was encapsulated by using the interfacial precipitation chemistry technique. The microencapsulated CGPO was then formulated into lotion form to produce topical repellent formulation. This study includes the characterization of microcapsules with regards to the morphology, size distribution, zeta potential, Fourier Transmission Infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR), and Thermogravity analysis (TGA). The effectiveness of the microencapsulated CGPO-lotion formulation against mosquitoes was evaluated in the laboratory setting. Results indicated that CGPO have been successfully encapsulated with 6.5 µm in diameter and zeta potential values, -47.9 mV. The FTIR analysis spectrum indicated the presence of interaction between the wall materials in microcapsules. The TGA analysis demonstrated that microencapsulation improved the thermal stability of CGPO. Repellency assay revealed that microencapsulated CGPO- based formulation possessed excellent effect compared with pure CGPO. In conclusion, CGPO was successfully encapsulated and the microencapsulation aid to improve the repellency effect of CGPO against mosquito bites.
The threat posed by drug-resistant pathogens has resulted in the increasing momentum in research and development for effective alternative medications. The antioxidant and antibacterial properties of phytochemical extracts makes them attractive alternative complementary medicines. Therefore, this study evaluated the phytochemical constituents of Melaleuca cajuputi flower and leaf (GF and GL, respectively) extracts and their antioxidant and antibacterial activities.
Essential oils have been widely used as an active ingredient in mosquito repellent products. However, essential oils are highly unstable and prone to degradation when exposed to the environment during storage. Microencapsulation techniques help to maintain the stability of molecules in essential oils that are sensitive to environmental stress, and therefore improve shelf life. In this study, the physical stability and efficacy of a repellent formulation consisting of encapsulated Citrus grandis essential oil (CGEO) were evaluated under different storage conditions over a 12-month period by comparing the formulation with a non-encapsulated formulation. The formulations were both stored under two different storage conditions, i.e., 25 ± 2 °C/60% ± 5% relative humidity (RH) and 40 ± 2 °C/75% RH ± 5%, for 12 months. Droplet size, zeta potential, and pH value were measured after 1, 6, and 12 months of storage to determine their stability. For the study of efficacy, each formulation was tested against Aedes aegypti under laboratory conditions. We found that the microencapsulated formulation's physical characteristics showed insignificant changes as compared with the non-encapsulated formulation during storage. The microencapsulated formulation demonstrated better repellent effects, sustaining high protection (>80%) for 4 more hours of exposure after 12 months of storage as compared with the non-encapsulated formulation that demonstrated high protection for only an hour post application. Microencapsulation helped to preserve the stability of the formulation, which resulted in high protection being maintained for over 12 months of storage.