The Detoxification of DDT by Resistant Houseflies and Inhibition of This Process by Piperonyl Cyclonene

2 June 1950

journal article
research article
Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science

Vol. 111 (2892) , 600-601
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.111.2892.600

Abstract

Topical application of DDT and piperonyl cyclonene (0.1 to 50 [upsilon]g./fly) in acetone solution to a non-DDT-resistant strain, a moderately resistant, and a very resistant strain of houseflies showed the piperonyl cyclonene to cause increased mortality in the resistant strains, but, at least in higher concn., a decrease in the mortality of the non-resistant strain compared with controls treated with DDT alone. In general, the synergistic effect was proportional to the concn. of the piperonyl cyclonene which when applied alone produced no mortality. Determination of the quantity of DDT in the carcasses of treated flies by the Schechter-Haller method showed the presence of a degradation product of DDT, primarily the ethylene derivative (DDE), as well as the DDT. The resistant strain converted more DDT to DDE than the non-resistant strain, and the addition of piperonyl cyclonene largely inhibited this.

Keywords

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: