GRINDED LEMOGRASS

(CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS)
WITH ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL AS
MOSQUITO COIL
RESEARCH 9- GROUP 1 DALTON
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION AND
THE BACKGROUND
 Mosquitoes were managed to be vectors for
infectious diseases that affect students, particularly
in dark rooms or classrooms with no electricity, and
it has risk for diseases like Dengue cause by a family
of mosquitoes known as aedes mosquitoes, some
which are aedes aegypty, which is commonly found
near swamp areas, forests, or some dirty waters that
are found inside the school campus.
 Lemongrass also known as Cymbopogon citratus is a popular
herb used in traditional medicine and cuisine due to its aromatic
and medicinal properties. A study by Nguyen et al. (2018) found
that Lemongrass essential oil has been shown to have insecticidal
and repellent effects against various pests, including mosquitoes.
Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is a common solvent used in various
industries due to its solvent properties and antimicrobial effects.
IPA has also been shown to have insecticidal effects against
mosquitoes according to (Alam et al., 2019).
 IPA has also been investigated as a potential mosquito
repellent due to its insecticidal effects. A study by Alam et al.
(2019) found that IPA had a repellent effect against Aedes
albopictus mosquitoes for 2 hours. However, the use of IPA as a
mosquito repellent has been criticized due to its potential
toxicity and flammability.
 The combination of grinded lemongrass with IPA has not been
extensively studied as a mosquito coil, but preliminary studies have
shown promising results. A study by Dhakal et al. (2019) found that
grinded lemongrass with IPA had a repellent effect against Aedes
aegypti mosquitoes for up to 4 hours. However, further research is
needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of this alternative
mosquito control method.
 This research aims to investigate the efficacy of
grinded lemongrass with IPA as a mosquito coil. Insect
repellents are important tools for preventing insect-borne
diseases. Knowing the effectiveness of lemongrass as a
mosquito coil is the main goal of the study. One such
alternative is the use of mosquito coils made from natural
ingredients excluding the IPA. The study will compare the
repellent effects of this alternative method with traditional
chemical-based insecticides and assess its safety and
environmental impact. The results of this study will contribute
to the development of safer and more sustainable methods of
mosquito control that can help mitigate the spread of
mosquito-borne diseases while minimizing adverse health
effects and environmental pollution.
STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
 This study sought to develop and create an
alternative mosquito repellent with Isopropyl Alcohol
and testing its effectiveness on a synthetic traditional
chemical-based mosquito coil.
Specifically; this study sought to answer the following questions:

1. Determine the effectiveness of the lemongrass coil with

Isopropyl Alcohol.

2. Identify the number of Mosquitoes that are deterred by the

lemongrass coil with Isopropyl Alcohol.

3. Analyze the potential safety and health implications

associated with prolonged exposure to these coils.
FORMULATION OF
HYPOTHESIS
 Alternative Hypothesis
There is a significant difference in using grinded
lemongrass with Isopropyl alcohol as an effective
alternative mosquito repellent.

Null Hypothesis
There is no significant difference in using grinded
lemongrass with Isopropyl alcohol as an effective
alternative mosquito repellent.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
This study could be beneficial to the following:

Consumers. Mosquito coils are a popular choice for mosquito control

due to their ability to repel or kill mosquitoes. They are easy to use, require
minimal effort, and can provide protection for several hours.

Environmental Health. This study can help in promoting the

effectiveness and safety of lemongrass with isopropyl alcohol as a
mosquito coil. Moreover, it is expected that the output of the study
will be used to develop an effective alternative mosquito coil.
Researchers of this study. The primary participants,
the researchers, will acquire knowledge and
experience to advance their expertise in the field.

Future Researchers. Researchers who intend to

investigate any connected issue about grinded
lemongrass with Isopropyl Alcohol as a mosquito coil
will find this research to be a helpful resource.
SCOPE AND DELIMITATION
OF
THE STUDY
 This study aims to investigate the potential of lemongrass
combined with isopropyl alcohol as an alternative mosquito coil. Efficacy
testing will be a key focus, comparing the developed coils with
commercially available options involving the Common and Aedes
mosquitoes. Safety assessments will be conducted to ensure the coils'
safe use, considering potential health risks and skin irritation. The study
has limitations, including geographical and species-specific
considerations. The duration of the study will be conducted within 1-2
months with only one source of lemongrass for the alternative mosquito
coil.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Grinded Lemongrass. The lemongrass plant
(Cymbopogon citratus) will be in the process of grinding
or crushing into smaller pieces. The lemongrass that has
been crushed or ground into smaller pieces, will be
combined with isopropyl alcohol to create a potential
mosquito repellent.
Isopropyl Alcohol. The Isopropyl alcohol is a key
component in the study, serving as a solvent for
extracting essential oils from lemongrass. It is applied to
the grinded lemongrass to facilitate the extraction process
and is later used as a carrier or base in the formulation of
the mosquito coil.
Mosquito coil. The lemongrass plant will undergo the
grinding stage which will divide the plant into smaller
portions or pieces then combine the grinded lemongrass
with isopropyl alcohol to create an efficient and effective
mosquito repellent.
Traditional chemical-based insecticides. These
are Insecticides that are used to contrast/compare in the
study for better efficacy.

Deterred. This refers to the ability of the coil to

discourage or repel mosquitoes. This deterrence is
achieved through the combined properties of grinded
lemongrass and isopropyl alcohol when burned as a
mosquito coil.
CHAPTER 2
 Review of Related
Literature & Studies
 The review of literature for this study focuses on the
lemongrass that is known for its citronella content and has
established itself as a reliable insect repellent, and the
addition of isopropyl alcohol as a carrier enhances its
potential. However, further research is necessary to
comprehensively evaluate the safety, efficacy, and long-term
effects of this formulation. The following are discussed
further with its relation to the study.
Related Literature
(Local Literature)
 Citral extracts from the plant essential oil, has been found as an
efficient natural botanical pesticide to repel many pests (Ju et al., 2020;
Yang et al., 2014), such as Rhopalosiphum padi L (Pascual-Villalobos
et al., 2017), Megalurothrips sjostedti (Diabate et al., 2019), Aedes
albopictus (Wu et al., 2013). However, volatile nature of citral limited its
further application under field conditions (Oyedele et al., 2002). In order
to improve the effective utilization of plant essential oil, several
techniques had been developed (Gao et al., 2020; Yang et al., 2018).
Different formulations give different durations however; creams,
polymer mixtures and microcapsules provide repellency for extended
duration (Chang et al., 2006; Misni et al., 2017).
 Related Literature
(Foreign Literature)
 Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) has been variety acclaimed for natural
insect repellent, Inject repellent are very important tools for our prevention of
painful or uncomfortable insect bites, the main goal of the study ifs to determine
the effectiveness of lemongrass as a natural insect repellent. Also the oil from
lemongrass contains geraniol limonene which is antimicrobial properties. It has
its antimicrobial activity against a variety of common gram positive and gram
negative organism. As stated by, Singletary (2013), Oregano is an herb that has
been cultivated for centuries in the Mediterranean area, although it now can be
found on most continents mostly in Asia. Actually, there is no simply one
“oregano”, but rather several species that may contribute to the used for culinary
and medical purpose. As eloquently stated to the book of, Kintzio (2014) entitled
Oregano: The Genera Origanum and Lippia, mentioned by Baser (2015),
Oregano is one of the most commercially valuable ingredients in most insect
repellents either chemical or alternatives.
 Research by Ranade & Thiagarajan (2015) said that
Lemongrass is an aromatic medicinal grass from the
Cymbopogon genus, commonly found in Asian, American, and
African semi-temperate and tropical regions. Its distinctive
lemon fragrance, due to high citral content in its oil, makes it
useful in soaps, detergents, perfumes, and the pharmaceutical
industry. Lemongrass has numerous ethnopharmacological
applications, and apart from essential nutrients like fats,
proteins, fiber, and minerals, it also contains various bioactive
compounds like alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenols,
saponins, and tannins (Ranade, 2015). The diverse secondary
metabolites it produces contribute to its health restorative
capacity. This review emphasizes the medicinal properties of
lemongrass, making it a powerful herb for pharmacognostic
applications.
 Related Studies
(Local Literature)
 The research of ASEAN Journal of Science and Engineering 1
(1), 9-12,2021 is focused on exploring the potential of organic
mosquito patches as an alternative to mosquito repellents. The
findings indicate that while commercial mosquito patches achieved
the highest mosquito repelling rate, there was no significant
difference statistically among the three types of patches tested. This
suggests that organic mosquito patches are as effective as
commercial ones in repelling mosquitoes.

A study conducted by Novria et al. (2019) found out that

Lemongrass extract was found effective against all the organisms
among the reported organisms, staphylococcus aureus recorded a
greater zone of inhibition (12.50mm) at 1000 ppm concentration in
ethanol dried leaves extract when compared to other organisms.
 The extract of lemongrass leaves (fresh and dried) with cold, hot
and different solvents like ethanol and methanol were screened for
its antimicrobial activity against various bacteria Bacillus
vallismortis, Lysinibacillus macrolides, Staphylococcus aureus,
Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, vibrio cholera, at three
different concentrations by agar well method (Rex et al.,2021).

A study by Klernsupth (2018) shows that lemongrass possesses

notable efficacy as a mosquito repellent. Utilizing lemongrass
extract via fogging techniques has been observed to yield a
considerable decrease in mosquito population. Lemongrass stands
out as a promising, eco-friendly alternative to chemical-based
mosquito repellents, offering a sustainable solution to pest control
challenges (Anumruk, 2020).
 Related Studies
(Foreign Literature)
 Lemongrass essential oil (LEO), derived from the widely
cultivated lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.), contains numerous
bioactive compounds like citral, isoneral, isogeranial, geraniol,
geranyl acetate, citronellal, citronellol, germacrene-D, and elemol
(Basel, 2022). A study of Mukarram et al. (2022) says that these
compounds give LEO various pharmacological properties,
including antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, and
antioxidant effects. These properties make LEO commercially
valuable in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food preservation
industries.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) has a great potential to

be commercialized as an antidiabetic medication due to its alpha
glucosidase inhibitor (AGI) activity (Mnhdi, 2017).
 The research by Mandinih (2019) presents significant
improvements in the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method
for extracting essential oil from lemongrass. The study thoroughly
examines the effects of three primary elements: the inclusion of a
sparger, the use of a unique tri-spiral condenser design, and the
incorporation of ultrasonication. The results show a considerable
increase in oil yield (around 2.18%), proving the efficiency of these
novel techniques. Besides enhancing MAE in essential oil
extraction, this study offers valuable insights that can be applied in
various industries. Lemongrass, an herb renowned for its high
essential oil content, was the focal point of a study by Leuwanik
(2019). The objective was to explore a novel approach to extract
essential oil from lemongrass by employing ultrasonic sparger-
based microwave-assisted extraction (U SP-MAE) coupled with
ultrasound sonicator pretreatment and resulted in a significant
increase in lemongrass essential yield.