Pampanga High School

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

S.Y. 2015-2016

Tomato Leaves Extract as Mosquito Repellent

Members:
Danica Bondoc

9-Hydrogen

Myles Repolda

9-Hydrogen

Whaine Tongol

9-Nitrogen

Submitted to:
Mr. Christopher O. Lumba
January, 2016

II. Review of the Related Literature

A. Tomato

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a short-lived perennial plant, grown as an annual plant,
in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, typically growing to 1-3 m tall, with a weakly woody stem that
usually scrambles over other plants. The fruit is an edible, brightly colored (usually red, from the pigment
lycopene) berry, 1-2 cm diameter in wild plants, commonly much larger in cultivated forms. Though it is
botanically a berry, a subset of fruit, the tomato is nutritionally categorized as a vegetable.

A mosquito repellent that includes a compound from tomatoes could prove safer and more
effective than current chemicals. Preventing mosquito bites is a key part of efforts to prevent the spread of
diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, particularly among travellers to tropical countries. Deet (N, Ndiethyl-meta-toluamide), the active ingredient in the majority of repellent sprays and creams, has been
linked with occasionally severe reactions.

In the wild original state, tomatoes required cross pollination; they were much more selfincompatible than domestic cultivars. As a floral device to reduce selfing, the pistils of wild varieties
extended farther out of the flower than today's varieties. The stamens were, and remain, entirely within
the closed corolla. As tomatoes were moved from their native areas, their traditional pollinators, (probably
a species of halictidae bee) did not move with them. The trait of self-fertility (or self-pollinating) became
an advantage and domestic cultivars of tomato have been selected to maximize this trait, yet this is not the
same as self-pollination, despite the common claim that tomatoes do so. That tomatoes pollinate
themselves poorly without outside aid is clearly shown in greenhouse situations where pollination must

be aided by artificial wind, vibration of the plants (one brand of vibrator is a wand called an "electric bee"
that is used manually), or more often today, by cultured bumblebees.

Figure 1 Tomato

B. Mosquito Repellent

A mosquito repellent is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages
mosquitoes from landing or climbing on that surface. Mosquito repellents help prevent and control the
outbreak of insect-borne diseases from mosquitoes such as malaria and dengue fever.

According to Day and Rutledge (2005), repellents make humans unattractive to a mosquito so
that it will avoid areas of the body that have been treated with the product. Repellents do not kill
mosquitoes. The best repellents will provide protection from bites for a long period of time from just one
application. The University of Florida mosquito researchers test and evaluate the effectiveness of
mosquito repellents based on the amount of time the product will continue to repel mosquitoes after one
application to the skin. This is known as Complete Protection Time (CPT).

C. Lab Mice

Mice and humans share more than 90% percent of their genes, and mice are recognized around
the world as the leading experimental model for studying human biology and disease.

From formulating new cancer drugs to testing dietary supplements, mice and rats play a critical
role in developing new medical wonders. Scientists and researchers rely on mice and rats for several
reasons. One is convenience: rodents are small, easily housed and maintained, and adapt well to new
surroundings. They also reproduce quickly and have a short lifespan of two to three years, so several
generations of mice can be observed in a relatively short period of time.

Scientists can now breed genetically-altered mice called "transgenic mice" that carry genes that
are similar to those that cause human diseases. Likewise, select genes can be turned off or made inactive,
creating "knockout mice," which can be used to evaluate the effects of cancer-causing chemicals
(carcinogens) and assess drug safety, according to the FBR.

Figure 2: Lab Mouse

D. N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide

DEET is by far the most commonly used compound of the aforementioned

group with C12H17NO as its formula. . It was originally developed by the US army for
use World War 2, and has been available to the public as an insect repellent since
1957. It is sold in a variety of concentrations at 100%, it has an approximate
efficacy of 12 hours, but in the more commonly available 20-30% solutions, this
drops to a maximum of 8 hours. Although some controversy has dogged DEET, if
used as directed, guidelines have stated that it represents no risk to humans.
However, it has been linked with seizures in a very small proportion of people
(estimated to be around 1 in 100 million users). Its also recommended in some
countries that children under the age of 12 use a lower concentration of DEET spray
than adults.

Though it may be the most common insect repellent, DEET has its drawbacks; it has an
unpleasant smell, greasy feel, and can also damage plastics. For this reason, a number of other synthetic

alternatives are available. Icaridin, also known as picaridin, is one of these, which has the advantage of
being odorless and not damaging to plastics, unlike DEET. It also seems to provide comparable protection
to DEET, and is effective against an equally large range of insects. IR3535 is another catchy named
alternative compound, which also provides a similar efficacy to DEET, although some studies have shown
this to be slightly lower against certain species of mosquito. Though perhaps in part because its use is
less widespread, its worth noting that, apparently, no negative effects have ever been reported for
IR3535.

E. History

In a 2011 study, Jeffrey Band, M.D., an infectious disease specialist, epidemiologist and chief of
infectious diseases at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, and director of the hospitals
Interhealth: Health Care for International Travelers, states that natural insect repellents are based plant
ingredients, such as oil of lemon eucalyptus, citronella, Neem [tree] oil and even wild tomatoes.

In 2002, Dr. Michael Roe and William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Entomology at
NC State showed that the natural compound found in tomatoes is so effective at repelling insects that the
university patented the substance. The patent describes how the substance may be used to repel insects.

Source (RLL): Tomato Leaves Extract as Mosquito Repellent

Paragraph 1 and 3: http://renatovicario.com/pdf/tomato.pdf
Paragraph 2: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2037822.stm
Figure 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato
Paragraph 5: http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/Mosquito_Repellents.htm
Paragraph 7 and 8: http://www.livescience.com/32860-why-do-medical-researchers-use-mice.html
Figure 2: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/11/animals_drowned_in_sandy_
nyu_medical_research_is_set_back_years_by_dead.html
Paragraph 9 and 10: http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/07/14/insectrepellents/
Paragraph 11: http://www.edensongskincare.com/blog/diy-natural-insect-repellents
Paragraph 12: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/06/020611070622.htm