ABSTRACT Dengue, a mosquito‐borne disease transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti , remains a major global public health concern. In the Americas, over 13 million cases were reported in 2024 and more than 4 million in 2025, highlighting the urgent need for effective preventive strategies. Repellents are among the most practical tools to reduce mosquito–human contact. In this study, the essential oil (EO) from Piper cyrtopodon and cadina‐1(10),4‐diene showed the highest repellent efficacy (EC 50 = 2.68 and 2.31 mg/cm 2 ), followed by germacrene D and δ‐Elemene (EC 50 = 3.85 and 4.54 mg/cm 2 ). All treatments maintained high repellency levels for up to 270 min under laboratory conditions, showing performance comparable to the reference compound DEET within the experimental conditions. Molecular docking with the mosquito odorant‐binding proteins OBP1 and OBP22 suggested favorable binding interactions with the major compounds (–6.8 to –8.4 kcal/mol for OBP1 and –6.8 to –7.3 kcal/mol for OBP22), involving hydrophobic and aromatic contacts within the binding cavity. ADMET predictions indicated high lipophilicity, low aqueous solubility, and limited systemic absorption. No significant cytotoxicity was observed in Vero and PBMC cells up to 25 µg/mL for 72 h. These findings highlight the EO from P. cyrtopodon as a potential source of natural compounds with repellent activity, with emphasis on behavioral repellency under controlled laboratory conditions.
Costa et al. (Mon,) studied this question.