US scientists have identified the chemicals responsible for the mosquito-repelling activity of sweetgrass, a plant traditionally used by some Native Americans to fend off the bugs.
In laboratory tests, two sweetgrass compounds drove mosquitoes away from tantalising fake blood samples, just as well as the widely-used repellent Deet.
Further tests are needed to see how long the effects last.
The researchers say folk remedies are a rich source of possible new repellents.
"This is the fourth plant that we've investigated in this manner," said Charles Cantrell, a research chemist who works for the US Department of Agriculture.
Source BBC - read in full.
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