INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

Volume 14, No. 05, Month SEPTEMBER, Year 2018, Pages 751 - 766

Efficacy of thai herbal shampoos from averrhoa carambola l., hibiscus sabdariffa l. and passiflora edulis sims. for controlling head lice, pediculus humanus capitis (de geer)

Sittichok, S., Chantawee, A. and Soonwera, M.

Abstract Download PDF

Pediculosis is an infestation of the scalp caused by head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis (De Geer), which affects important public health in schoolchildren. Nowadays, head lice resistant to chemical pediculicide are increasing, thus alternative products from herbal shampoos or herbal cream are needed for head lice control. This study aimed to determine the efficacies of Thai herbal shampoos made from fruits of Averrhoa carambola L. (A. carambola), Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (H. sabdariffa) and Passiflora edulis Sims. (P. edulis) on mortality of head lice, at 1, 5 and 10 ml/plate by filter paper contact bioassay in vitro test and in vivo test, several infested children were treated with each shampoo and make a comparison between them and a chemical shampoo, carbaryl, by in vitro and in vivo tests. Every treatment was repeated three times. The in vitro results showed that the 5 and 10 ml/plate doses of P. edulis and H. sabdariffa shampoos exhibited the highest efficacy as pediculicide against nymphs with an LC50 of 0.85 ml/plate and LT50 between <0.1 to 0.20, and <0.1 to 0.47 min, respectively. LC50 of P. edulis and H. sabdariffa shampoos against adults were 0.85 and 1.09 ml/plate, respectively, and LT50 was between <0.1 to 0.83 min. From the in vivo test, P. edulis shampoo was found to be the most effective in controlling head lice with 100% cure rate after the 2nd treatment. It was more effective than carbaryl.In conclusion, P. edulis shampoo is an effective alternative as pediculicide for head lice treatment because it is safe: no side effects on the scalp of the subjects were observed.

Keywords

Herbal shampoo, Head lice, Pediculicide, Pediculus humanus capitis

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