CHAPTER I

PROBLEM AND IT’S BACKGROUND

Introduction

Most people have the background knowledge what dengue is. Dengue is a
mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions of World Health
Organization (WHO) in recent years. Dengue virus can be transmitted by female
mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedes Aegypti and, to a lesser extent, this type of
mosquito also transmits chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika infection. Dengue is the most
common virus that people know compared to the other viruses that mosquito transmits.
Sanofi, a French multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris,France
launched a dengue vaccine called Dengvaxia. It is the result of over 20 years of research
and development and is the first vaccine approved for the prevention of dengue, a serious
mosquito-borne disease that weighs heavily on public health systems throughout the world.
3.9 billion people live in areas where they are at risk of dengue. There is an estimation of
390 million dengue infections annually, of which 100 million are symptomatic including
500,000 severe and hospitalized cases every year.There are an estimated 10,000 deaths also
from dengue every year.Dengvaxia became an intense issue when Sanofi discovered that
vaccine could lead a person to develop severe dengue if he or she had not been infected by
the virus before vaccination. The World Health Organization continues to recommend the
vaccine for those in endemic regions with a previous dengue infection. In clinical trials of
individuals aged nine and above, Dengvaxia resulted in a reduction in severe dengue by
93% and in hospitalizations by 81%6. No causal-related deaths were reported in 15
countries after clinical trials conducted for more than a decade with 40,000 subjects
involved. There continues to be no evidence that any deaths have been causally linked to
the vaccine. Over 700 doctors in the Philippines have signed a petition and begun speaking
out against the misinformation surrounding the vaccine’s safety.

Now more than ever Sanofi sees a troubling trend toward a rejection of proven and
verifiable scientific and medical facts. This situation leads to a lack of confidence in
vaccines which prompts downstream negative health consequences. In the Philippines
misinformation surrounding the safety of vaccines has led to a significant decline in
immunization rates for polio, chicken pox, tetanus and other diseases, thus increasing the
risks for the population.

Significance of the Study

As time goes by, there are a lot of things that can be made by using high technology.
Most of the scientists are enable to make new and improved products, thus, some of them
invented mosquito repellent that contains chemicals that have disadvantages to humans.
Some suffers from irritation of the skin and other suffered their respiratory system
especially the lungs, this was proven by doctors and specialists.

This study entitled “Effectiveness of Basil (Ocimum basilicum) plant as a main

ingredient to a mosquito repellent” can be essential to the following:

Youth

This study can help them to add more knowledge on organic processes and to avoid
harmful effects of using chemicals as a mosquito repellent that may cause illness to anyone.

It can also help them to choose mosquito repellent that undergone organic processes
than to use other mosquito repellent that contains chemicals.

Parents

The result of this study is a big help to our environment and especially to parents,
they will have sufficient knowledge and idea about the advantages and disadvantages of
Basil plant. Organic plants have less harmful effects compared to chemicals.

Future Researchers

As a researcher, this study will help the future researchers to have the knowledge
of what Basil plant can do and it can be their basis on the result that the researchers found.
The gathered data can be their foundation to use alternative ways on how to prevent
mosquitoes that cause damage on their victims. It can also be used to improve this study.
Statement of the Study

 What type of plant is Basil?

 What are the compositions and characteristics of the plant?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of basil plant on our surroundings?

Scope and Limitation

The researchers evaluated the Basil as a plant on the pot and in the garden. The
researchers also evaluated only the leaves of the Basil plant.

The study was limited to the primary data and to the information gathered from the
observation and to the noting and recording of the researchers to the Basil plant. The
secondary data gathered were from the internet, published research report, and some
existing documents related to the study.

Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions of
World Health Organization (WHO) in recent years. Dengue virus can be transmitted by
female mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedes Aegypti and, to a lesser extent, this type of
mosquito also transmits chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika infection.

Nearly 4 billion people are at risk of dengue and around 400 million infections are
estimated to occur every year worldwide.
 Because four antigenically related but distinct serotypes cause severe and fatal
outcomes, a tetravalent vaccine is needed to protect against the huge burden of dengue
disease. Developed by Sanofi Pasteur, Dengvaxia is the vaccine candidate at the most
advanced clinical stage. Results from years 1–2 of phase 3 trials of Dengvaxia treatment
show an intermediate efficacy against a wide spectrum of disease observed during the
surveillance phase in a subset of 9–16–year–old participants, reducing the prevalence of
dengue disease by 66% in Latin America and 60% in the Asia-Pacific region.

A DOH- Dengue Surveillance Report showed that a total of 138,444 dengue fever
were reported from January 1 to October 6, 2018. A total of 114,878 dengue fever cases
were reported from January to October in 2017.

Seven hundred eight deaths due to dengue fever were so far reported this year,
compared to 581 in the first nine months 2018.

According to news reports, there is an additional at least 28 people that died due
complications arising from the dengue fever virus in the Philippines Central Visayas since
January 1, 2019.

Basil is a flavorful, leafy green herb that originated in Asia and Africa. It is a
member of the mint family, and many different varieties exist. It is popular as a food
seasoning, this aromatic herb is also used in teas and supplements which may provide a
range of health benefits.

Essential oils distilled from members of the Lamiaceae (mint family that includes
most culinary herbs), Poaceae (aromatic grasses) and Pinaceae (pine and cedar family) are
commonly used as insect repellents throughout the globe. Many members of these families
are used in rural communities through burning or hanging them within homes. In Europe
and North America there is a strong history of use of the oils dating back to Ancient times.
Almost all of the plants used as repellents are also used for food flavouring or in the
perfume industry, which may explain the association with these oils as safer natural
alternatives to DEET despite many oils causing contact dermatitis. Many commercial
repellents contain a number of plant essential oils either for fragrance or as repellents
including peppermint, lemongrass, geraniol, pine oil, pennyroyal, cedar oil, thyme oil and
patchouli. The most effective of these include thyme oil, geraniol, peppermint oil, cedar
oil, patchouli and clove that have been found to repel malaria, filarial and yellow fever
vectors for a period of 60-180 mins. Most of these essential oils are highly volatile and this
contributes to their poor longevity as mosquito repellents. However, this problem can be
addressed by using fixatives or careful formulation to improve their longevity. Repellents
containing only essential oils in the absence of an active ingredient such as DEET should
not be recommended as repellents for use in disease endemic areas, and those containing
high levels of essential oils could cause skin irritation, especially in the presence of
sunlight.

Basil, Ocimum L. ssp. (fam. Labiatae), now commonly called rayḥān in Persian, an
aromatic plant. The word basil goes back ultimately to Gk. basilikón, lit. “royal,”
with okimon understood, thus “royal [okimon],” which, according to Laufer (pp. 586-87),
is a Greek calque of the Pers. šāh-separam/-esfaram, “the basil, [lit.] fragrant leaf of the
king.” Separam/ esfarham (also esparam, etc.) are, according to dictionaries (e.g., Borhān-
e qāṭeʿ, s.vv.), shortened forms of esparḡam/esparhamseparḡam/separham, etc. (from a
Mid. Pers. word written variously as sparm/sparḡm, sparhm, or spahrm; see Unvala, pp.
31, 76, who translates it as “plant, flower”), which is a generic term in Classical Persian
literature for (plants with) fragrant leaves and/or flowers, and, occasionally, aromatic fruits;
thus it partly corresponds to the original meaning of the Arabic rayḥān (pl. rayāḥin,
“aromatic plant”), which is also used in Classical Persian in this generic sense
(cf. Bundahišn xvi 12, where sparam is said to indicate only “everything with fragrant
leaves, manually sown/planted by men, and perennial/hardy,” thus excluding the rose, the
violet, the narcissus, etc., which form a separate group, ibid., 13).

Several oils have shown repellency against mosquitoes. It is likely that they work
in several ways 1) by reducing short range attractive cues i.e. kairomones, water vapor and
temperature by reducing the evaporation and absorption of repellent actives due to the
presence of long-chained fatty molecules by containing fatty acids are known to be
repellent to mosquitoes at high concentrations.
 Basil belongs to the genus Ocinum, derived from the greek” Ozo” which means to
smell, in reference to the strong odors of the species within the genus. In French, it is
frequently given name “ Herbe Royale” revealing the positive light on which it is
viewed. The etymology of basil is unclear however several potential sources are plausible.it
is sometimes referred to as “the king of herbs” and many have been derived from the Greek
basileus or king.

Basil is native to areas of Asia and Africa and grows wild as pennial on some pacific
island. Basil has brought from India to Europe through the middle east in the sixteen
century, and subsequently to American in the seventeen century. Basil grows as a prennial
in tropical climates, and is planted as an annual in temperature region , where it may be
sown directly from seed or transplanted. While other members of the basil family
(lamocaea) grow well under competitive circumstances, basil prefer little competition for
sun and water. As basil is a highly frost sensitive plant, it must be protected against
temperature close to freezing. Basil prefers to be grown in fill sun, however will grow
(albeit with less vigor) in partial shade. The botanical differences between varieties of basil
are plentiful, for this reason a universal description of the herb is inadequate

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) will grow to size of 1-2 feet in weight, basil will
protifically produce large green leaves measurement around 2 inches in length, throughout
the summer. Basil flowers are white, and are commonly removed to increase yield of leaves
cultivars of sweet basil include lemon basil, Italian or curly basil, and lettuce- leaf basil.
The names of these cultivars give way to their variances.
Basil is considered a medicinal herb (Ahmed et al., 2014) for its diuretic and
stimulating properties and also used in perfume compositions (Nguyen et al., 2010).

Basil is an herb. The parts of the plant that grow above the ground are used to make
medicine. Basil is used for stomach spasms, loss of appetite, intestinal gas, kidney
conditions, fluid retention, head colds, warts, and worm infections. It is also used to treat
snake and insect bites.
Some people use it as a gargle.
In foods, basil is used for flavor. (Rx list., 2019)
 Mental alertness. Early research suggests that aromatherapy with basil, peppermint,
and sandy everlasting essential oils for one week might improve attention, mental alertness,
and mental focus in some people who report feelings of mental exhaustion.

Head colds, loss of appetite, intestinal gas, stomach spasms, kidney disorders, blood
circulation, worms, warts, snake and insect bites (Rx List,. 2019)

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), a common garden herb, is cultivated in the
United States for culinary purposes as a fresh herb and as a dried spice. While there are
many cultivars (Simon and Reiss-Bubenheim 1987), little information is available on the
essential oil compounds responsible for the plant's flavor and fragrance.

Basil has the ability to synthesize and convert phenylpropenes (important chemicals
in determining the flavor of herbs which can also act as cultivator attractants or herbivore
deterrents). 23 The flavor and smell of basil varieties is largely determined by their
chemical components – basil varieties contain the following oils in varying quantities:
cinnamate, citronellol, geraniol, linalool, methyl chavicol, myrcene, pinene, ocimene,
terpineol. (Sullivan C,. 2009)

Repellents are effective measure in reducing the risk of tick bite; products based
on natural compounds represent an interesting alternative to common synthetic
repellents. In this study the repellency of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) was tested
against the tick Ixodes ricinus L., by using a laboratory bioassay. A bioassay-assisted
fractionation allowed the identification of a compound involved in the biological activity.
Eugenol appeared to be as repellent as DEET at two tested doses. Linalool, which was
identified in the active fraction too, failed to give any response. Repellency of eugenol
was proved also in the presence of human skin odour using a convenient and practical
bioassay.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10493-008-9182-6?fbclid=IwAR0ahPkZ0gePilCN-
SbquX60rv2oZi5hAthVbcYZh9GgPp19eNZ2WDwkhQE
 Essential oils, distilled from seeds of Coriander sativum and Carum carvii and
from leaves of five different varieties of Ocimum basilicum, were fractionated by column
chromatography and tested in the laboratory for volatile toxicity against three stored rice
pests (Sitophilus oryzae, Rhyzopertha dominica and Cryptolestes pusillus). Three major
essential oil profiles were present in the five varieties of O. basilicum analyzed are methyl
eugenol/estragole, estragole and estragole/linalool chemotypes. The abundance of
components had a strong influence on the outcome of the bioassays. Fractions, where
combinations of products occurred with or without other minor compounds, were often
more toxic than any one compound alone.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022474X08000222?fbclid=IwAR0Py8b
q7sb1FvWeLMZkVAhqC3qDdumywVn7tDEzGSC-aajN1K1TYqoQlts

“A Diptera IS smaller than a fly- whose female specimens suck blood

«mosquitoes». Mosquito bites (Culex, Anopheles, Aedes, etc.) are not only annoying or
painful, but can also, on many occasions, transmit diseases of enormous epidemiological
importance.

In order to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes researchers can choose different

strategies: exterminating them (with insecticides), establishing physical barriers (such as
mosquito nets) or repelling them with chemical substances from different plants or
synthetic products. Among the list of natural volatile compounds that can be used as
repellents there are pyrethrins, methyl-nonyl-ketone, geraniol, estragole, citronellal,
limonene and nerolidol.

Some of the plants that have traditionally been considered repellents synthesise at
least one of these substances. It turns out one of those plants, basil (Ocimum basilicum),
has not one, but four of the mosquito-repellent volatiles, the last four in the list, among
which there is a predominance of estragole (1-allyl-4-methoxybenzene), also known as
tarragon, methylchavicol or allylanisole. in addition, estragole is one of the elements
responsible for the typical scent basil releases when its leaves are rubbed. Tonnes and
tonnes of basil oil are produced via steam distillation every year. Humans can use basil oil
in order to keep blood-sucking mosquitoes away from people or, as popular lore indicates,
leave some basil on our windowsills or terrace.
This will not only keep mosquitoes away; in exchange for some strokes, the plant
will scent the room with an excellent perfume that earned it the title of Queen (basileus) of
aromatic herbs. In fact, Linnaeus fairly named it Ocimum basilicum.”

https://metode.org/metodes-whys-and-wherefores/why-does-basil-repel-mosquitoes.html

Basil repels house flies and mosquitoes. Plant basil in containers by your house
doors and in outdoor areas where people able to relax or entertain. Fresh basil can be used
to make an insect repellent spray. A simple recipe calls for pouring 4 ounces of boiling
water into a container holding 4 to 6 ounces of clean, fresh basil leaves (stems can be
attached), letting the leaves steep for several hours, removing the leaves and squeezing all
of the leaves’ moisture into the mixture. Then thoroughly mix 4 ounces of vodka along
with the basil-water mixture. Store it in the refrigerator and apply as a spray when going
outdoors. Be sure to keep the spray away from your eyes, nose and mouth.

https://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/12-plants-that-repel-
unwanted-insects

Chemical insect controls work well in the garden, but they have many negative side
effects. Insecticides kill indiscriminately, harming both pests and beneficial insects such as
bees. It's also unwise to spray potentially toxic chemicals around pets, children, and food
crops. Instead, consider using basil as a natural insect repellent. Basil can be used as a
companion plant or rub it on your skin for personal protection. It may also be crushed or
burn the basil leaves to deter unwanted pests. Doing so eliminates pests without harming
the insects that help your lawn and garden. (Adams, 2017)

https://www.hunker.com/13405685/how-to-use-basil-as-an-insect-repellent

“Diseases transmitted by ticks are causing increasing concern in Europe and all
around the world. Repellents are an effective measure for reducing the risk of tick bite;
products based on natural compounds represent an interesting alternative to common
synthetic repellents. In this study the repellency of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)
was tested against the tick Ixodes ricinus L., by using a laboratory bioassay. A bioassay-
assisted fractionation allowed the identification of a compound involved in the biological
activity. Eugenol appeared to be as repellent as DEET at two tested doses. Linalool,
which was identified in the active fraction too, failed to give any response. Repellency
of eugenol was proved also in the presence of human skin odour using a convenient and
practical bioassay.”

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10493-008-9182-6