Journal of Environmental Biology

New synthetic precocenoids as potential insect control agents

 

Smita Banerjee*¹, G.P. Kalena², A. Banerji*² and A.P. Singh¹

¹Department of Zoology, Dr. H.S. Gour University, Sagar - 470 003, India

²Bioorganic Division, BARC, Mumbai - 400 085, India

(Received: October 17, 2006; Revised received: April 22, 2007 ; Accepted: April 30, 2007)

Abstract: Ageratochromes or precocenes are known for their insect growth regulating (IGR) activity. The present investigation was taken up with an objective to look for the lead structure in these compounds which can be elaborated synthetically to obtain useful growth regulators for practical purposes. With this in mind, some variants of precocenes were synthesized in the laboratory and tested for their toxicity and growth regulating activity using red cotton bug Dysdercus koenigii as the test insect. Most of the precocenoids showed toxicity of various degree and metamorphic derangements to different extents. Adults emerging from treated nymphs could not complete the normal life span. Among the compounds tested 8-acetyl-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-dimethylchromene (alloevodinol) was more toxic and also showed developmental defects at very low dose such as 0.5 mg l^-1/nymph. Precocene II (6, 7 ? dimethoxy-2, 2-dimethylchromene) was used as the standard compound. It was the least toxic and showed effects at 30 mg l^-1/nymph.

Key words: Dysdercus koenigii, Metamorphic derangements, Precocene

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