Insect Growth-Disrupting And Fecundity-Reducing Ingredients From The Neem And Chinaberry Trees

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The search for secondary plant metabolites which disturb the endocrine system of arthropods began with the accidental discovery of the so-called “paper factor” in paper derived from wood of Abies balsaminea. 1 During the following years various phytojuvenoids and phytoecdysoids were isolated from different species of plants. The chemical structures of some of them were identical with those of juvenile and molting hormones which naturally occur in insects and other arthropods. 20-Hydroxyecdysone, for instance, is found in numerous plants, particularly among conifers and ferns. 2,3 A further step forward was the discovery of antijuvenoids, the precocenes, in the herb Ageratum houstonianum. 4 The growth-disrupting (growth regulating) compound azadirachtin, isolated from seed kernels of Azadirachta indica (neem) and Melia azedarach (chinaberry) appears to be at present a very promising plant ingredient for pest control purposes due to its outstanding mode of action and its activity against a wide range of major insect pests without serious side effects on nontarget organisms.