Ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate is an insect repellent whose trade name is IR3535 and was developed and commercialized by Merck KGaA (Germany). It is a colorless and odorless oil with a good skin feel in final products, and it is biodegradable.[1][2][3]
IR3535 is effective in repelling several different insects such as mosquitoes species and also midges, ticks and head lice. It is as effective as DEET against Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, but may be less effective than DEET against Anopheles mosquitoes, vectors of malaria.[7][8]
A 2013 review concluded that IR3535 is as effective as 20% DEET against Anopheles, citing that some studies reported possibly shorter protection of just 3.8 hours.[9][6] In areas with malaria, the NHS recommends 50% DEET or at least 30% DEET or 20% icaridin instead of IR3535.[10][11][12] IR3535, among other repellents, is included in the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for areas with malaria. The WHO also notes that it may be necessary to reapply repellents every 3-4 hours in hot and humid climates.[13][14]
IR3535 also helps prevent bites from ticks that may transmit Lyme disease.[6]
The mechanism of action is still under investigation, but it probably related to the intolerance of mosquitos and other invertebrate animals to its odor.
IR3535 is applied topically in human skin and prevent bites from mosquitos and ticks that might cause serious diseases, such as dengue, malaria, zika, West Nile virus, Lyme disease, among others.[16]
Chemistry
[edit] Comparison of ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate and beta-alanine
^"Insect Repellent - FAQ". Merck. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023. Like a number of other repellents, IR3535® is not compatible with certain synthetic materials.
^ abc"Insect Repellents". National Capital Poison Center. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023. IR3535 20% offers protection against Aedes and Culex mosquitoes for 7-10 hours but only 3.8 hours of protection against Anopheles in some studies. Therefore, IR3535 is not recommended for use in malaria-endemic areas. It is a serious eye irritant but otherwise has a good safety profile. It can melt some plastics and damage some fabrics.
^"Malaria". NHS. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023. use insect repellent on your skin – make sure it's 50% DEET-based
^"Mosquito bite avoidance: advice for travellers". Gov.uk. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023. A product with 50% DEET is recommended as a first choice. If DEET is not tolerated, use of a repellent containing the highest strength formulation available of either icaridin (20%), eucalyptus citriodora oil, hydrated, cyclised or 3-ethlyaminopropionate is recommended.
^Team, HPS Travel Health. "Mosquito Bite Avoidance - Fit for Travel". Fit for Travel. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-07. IR3535: less effective than DEET or Icaridin at preventing bites from the type of mosquitos that carry malaria; should not be used in countries where malaria is present
^"Malaria". World Health Organization. 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
^"Insect Repellents". National Pesticide Information Center. February 2018. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023. Few or no studies address using IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus with sunscreens.
