Quote:

Isolation and Identification of Mosquito........(Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg)

Dried male inflorescences of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis, Moraceae) are burned in communities throughout Oceania to repel flying insects, including mosquitoes. This study was conducted to identify chemicals responsible for mosquito deterrence. Various crude extracts were evaluated, and the most active, the hydrodistillate, was used for bioassay-guided fractionation. The hydrodistillate and all fractions displayed significant deterrent activity. Exploratory GC-MS analysis revealed more than 100 distinctive peaks, and more than 30 compounds were putatively identified, including a mixture of terpenes, aldehydes, fatty acids, and aromatics. A systematic bioassay-directed study using adult Aedes aegypti females identified capric, undecanoic, and lauric acid as primary deterrent constituents. A synthetic mixture of fatty acids present in the most active fraction and individual fatty acids were all significantly more active than N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). These results provide support for this traditional practice and indicate the potential of male breadfruit flowers and fatty acids as mosquito repellents.

BCSnob wrote:

Where did you find the entire print of the recently published:

"Isolation and Identification of Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) Biting Deterrent Fatty Acids from Male Inflorescences of Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg)"

or were you talking about the website at UFla which lists the effectiveness of products currently on the market?

narcodog wrote:

If you read the whole paper there is some good information. I'll stick with DEET. Which according to the paper is safe for all ages if applied properly.

Shearwater wrote:

Capric acid and other short chain fatty acids stink to high heaven. You will repel more than mosquitoes. (Capric, caproic, and caprylic acids are named for goats - genus caprus - and are responsible for the way goats smell.)