ArticleMalaria journal2026
Draw inspiration from research on the insecticidal, irritant and mosquito-repellent properties of plants used by chimpanzees to build their nests.
Article in Malaria journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundVector-borne diseases are still responsible for the deaths of one million people worldwide every year, particularly in African countries. Plans to combat this worldwide burden, including strategies to control vectors, are still being investigated. Among them, the behavior of chimpanzees, our closest relatives living in African forests, has been studied. In Kibale National Park in Uganda, chimpanzees ingest plants that are biologically active against Plasmodium falciparum responsible for malaria but also select tree species to build their nests. The essential oils extracted from their leaves have repellent effects on Anopheles gambiae, which are vectors of Plasmodium falciparum.
methodsTo investigate the chemodiversity of trees used by chimpanzees, essential oils (EOs) from the leaves of Vepris nobilis, Lepisanthes senegalensis, Turraeanthus africanus, and volatile extracts from the leaves of Celtis africana, which are not used for nesting by chimpanzees, were studied via gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry. The repellent, irritant and toxic activities of the compounds selected on the basis of their abundance, availability and previously studied properties were subsequently tested under laboratory conditions alone and in mixtures on female An. gambiae.
resultsVolatile compounds abundant at concentrations greater than 0.1% in the four plants were identified. We demonstrate different chemical profiles between the three EOs and the volatile extract, with molecules present in the essential oils such as β-elemene, δ-elemene, caryophyllene, α-humulene, or germacrene D. Chemical families specific to Celtis africana include aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, furans, and vinylphenols. Only linalool was present in all four extracts. The mix we prepared and tested on mosquitoes, which contained α-humulene, caryophyllene, linalool and citral, is toxic and irritant to An. gambiae.
conclusionsThis study describes volatile compounds present at more than 0.1% in the leaves of four species of Ugandan trees. Certain molecules present only in species used by chimpanzees in their nests can be combined to prepare solutions with anti-mosquito properties. The outcome of this work could lead to the formulation of a repellent spray inspired by chimpanzee behavior and the environment against An. gambiae to add a means of malaria prevention.
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