Earlier this year, Mimikai launched a pioneering insect repellent that is attracting attention not just for what it contains, but what it leaves out. World Aerosols reports.
Free from DEET and other synthetic chemicals, Mimikai relies on 2-undecanone, a naturally derived compound found in wild tomato plants, to offer effective protection against mosquitoes and ticks.
This breakthrough product blends botanical innovation with rigorous scientific validation and landmark regulatory approval.
From botanical observation to scientific discovery
The origins of Mimikai’s active ingredient lie in the forests and fields of North Carolina in the US, where entomologist Professor Michael Roe of North Carolina State University noticed an intriguing natural phenomenon. While insects voraciously fed on much of the local vegetation, a native wild tomato plant remained conspicuously untouched. This resistance was traced to 2-undecanone, a compound present in the plant’s glandular hairs, which acts as a potent insect repellent.
“I was hired to do basic science, so it just shows you the...
A new chapter in botanical insect repellents
