Laboratory and field evaluations of some botanical pesticides against the cedar leaf moth, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acleris undulana</Emphasis>

The cedar leaf moth (CLM), Acleris undulana Walsingham, has recently become an important pest in the cedar forests in southwestern Turkey. Control has focussed on the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, with little research having been conducted on alternative control methods. In this study, four botanical pesticides (two commercial neem products, Neemazal-T/S^® and Greeneem^® oil, and two hot water plant extracts, Origanum onites L. and Pimpinella anisum L.) were evaluated for their effects against young (first–second) and older (third–fifth) instar larvae of CLM under laboratory and field conditions. The results of larval dip bioassay in the laboratory showed that all the botanical pesticides tested had significant larvicidal activity against both young and older instars of CLM compared to the water-treated control. Of the botanical pesticides tested, Neemazal was the most larvicidal botanical, causing mortalities ranging from 84 to 100%, the least effective was the P. anisum extract, but at high concentrations this extract still caused significant mortality. Results from field trials also revealed that the botanical pesticides had larvicidal activity against CLM. Neemazal was the most larvicidal botanical, followed by Greeneem oil then by O. onites and finally by P. anisum. Our overall results suggest that all the botanical pesticides tested are promising as larvicides against CLM, and may provide an alternative control method that is more compatible with Integrated Pest Management programs than the use of synthetic chemical pesticides.     

Pharmacokinetics of cefquinome in red‐eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) after single intravenous and intramuscular injections

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of cefquinome (CFQ ) following single intravenous (IV ) or intramuscular (IM ) injections of 2 mg/kg body weight in red‐eared slider turtles. Plasma concentrations of CFQ were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography and analyzed using noncompartmental methods. The pharmacokinetic parameters following IV injection were as follows: elimination half‐life (t _1/2λz) 21.73 ± 4.95 hr, volume of distribution at steady‐state (V _dss) 0.37 ± 0.11 L/kg, area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC _0–∞) 163 ± 32 μg hr^?1 ml^?1, and total body clearance (Cl_T) 12.66 ± 2.51 ml hr^?1 kg^?1. The pharmacokinetic parameters after IM injection were as follows: peak plasma concentration (C _max) 3.94 ± 0.84 μg/ml, time to peak concentration (T _max) 3 hr, t _1/2λz 26.90 ± 4.33 hr, and AUC _0–∞ 145 ± 48 μg hr^?1 ml^?1. The bioavailability after IM injection was 88%. Data suggest that CFQ has a favorable pharmacokinetic profile with a long half‐life and a high bioavailability in red‐eared slider turtles. Further studies are needed to establish a multiple dosage regimen and evaluate clinical efficacy.     

A stereological analysis on the calculation of the volume values of thoracic segments in ducks

Stereology is a method for examining two-dimensional objects as three-dimensional objects. The aim of this study was to offer volume values for thoracic segments in ducks by means of stereological methods. This study examined the data obtained from stereological analysis of the total volume and grey and white matter volume values of the thoracic segment, a part of the adult duck spinal cord with a weight of 3–4 kg. In the study, study samples consisted of 10 adult ducks (Anas) used without gender discrimination. To perfuse all of the animals, 10% formaldehyde was utilised. The perfused animals were kept in 10% formaldehyde for one week. The spinal cord was uncovered following the removal of arcus vertebrae parts of thoracic vertebrae in the thoracic part of dissected ducks. Tissue samples of thoracic segments were taken; 5-µm-thick cross sections from these tissue samples were taken via microtome. Attention was paid to obtaining samples at the ratio of 1/250 by taking 12 cross sections from each segment. The cross sections were subjected to haematoxylin-eosin staining. Photographs of all cross sections were taken using a microscope. The volume values of all tissue and grey and white matter structures in each thoracic segment of the spinal cord were calculated. The total volume, grey and white matter volume densities in thoracic segments of ducks, as well as the data obtained as a result of proportioning volume values of one another are represented in the conclusion section of this study.     

A Greenhouse Study of Concrete Grinding Residue Influences on Seedling Emergence and Early Growth of Selected Prairie Species

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - Trichloroethene (TCE) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) are notorious pollutants in groundwater. The biodegradation of them yields more toxic vinyl chloride...     

Assessment of the cardiotoxicity of tulathromycin in rabbits

The aim of this study was to determine the cardiotoxic potency of tulathromycin. Tulathromycin (10 mg/kg, SC) was administered to ten adult male rabbits, and blood samples were obtained before and after drug administration (0 and 6 hours). Serum cardiac damage markers (troponin I, creatine kinase-MB, myoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase), routine serum biochemical values (alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, amylase, total protein, albumin, glucose, calcium, ionised calcium, sodium, potassium), white blood cell (WBC) and red blood cell (RBC) counts, arterial blood gas parameters (pH, partial carbon dioxide pressure, partial oxygen pressure, actual bicarbonate, standard bicarbonate, total carbon dioxide, base excess in vivo, base excess in vitro, oxygen saturation, packed cell volume, haemoglobin) and serum oxidative status (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, superoxide dismutase, retinol, β-carotene) were measured. Increased levels of troponin I, creatine kinase-MB and creatinine, and decreased WBC counts, ionised calcium and potassium levels were observed after drug administration. Tulathromycin treatment may cause cardiotoxicity, but its effects may be less dramatic than those of other macrolide antibiotics frequently used in veterinary medicine.     

Bacterial protection of beetle-fungus mutualism

Host-microbe symbioses play a critical role in the evolution of biological diversity and complexity. In a notably intricate system, southern pine beetles use symbiotic fungi to help overcome host-tree defenses and to provide nutrition for their larvae. We show that this beetle-fungal mutualism is chemically mediated by a bacterially produced polyunsaturated peroxide. The molecule's selective toxicity toward the beetle's fungal antagonist, combined with the prevalence and localization of its bacterial source, indicates an insect-microbe association that is both mutualistic and coevolved. This unexpected finding in a well-studied system indicates that mutualistic associations between insects and antibiotic-producing bacteria are more common than currently recognized and that identifying their small-molecule mediators can provide a powerful search strategy for therapeutically useful antimicrobial compounds.     

生物杀虫剂BtA对结球甘蓝地害虫及其捕食性天敌生态位变动的影响

2001年在中国东南部福州地区进行生物杀虫剂BtA和化学杀虫剂灭多威对结球甘蓝地捕食性天敌及其猎物对象害虫空间生态位宽度和重叠的影响的研究。研究对象捕食性天敌包括七星瓢虫(Coccinella septempunctata L．)和草间小黑蛛[Erigonidium graminicola(Sundvall)]，猎物对象害虫包括小菜蛾[Plutella xylostella(L．)]、菜粉蝶[Pieris rapae(L.)]、菜蚜[Brevicoryne brassicae(L．)]、斑潜蝇(Liriomyza satlvae Blanch．)、黄条跳甲(Phyllotreta vittata Fabric．)。研究结果表明。天敌害虫比在BtA处理区为0．395O，在灭多威处理区为0．2018．说明BtA对被测捕食性天敌的影响小于灭多威。捕食性天敌的空间生态位宽度变动范围为2．81～4．44，BtA和灭多威对捕食性天敌空间生态位宽度变化影响不显著。被测害虫空间生态位宽度变动范围为1．42～5．86，BtA和灭多威对被测害虫空间生态位宽度变化影响极显著。这种变化改变了捕食性天敌与害虫之间在空间范围内的数量关系，进而影响到它们之间的空间生态位重叠。天敌和害虫之间空间生态位重叠研究表明，重叠值的变动范围为O．10％～87．78％。在BtA处理区，草间小黑蛛与小菜蛾的空间生态位重叠为78．46％，七星瓢虫与菜蚜的空间生态位重叠为58．33％，而在灭多威处理区，以上两个指标分别为38．71％和18．59％，说明灭多威显著地降低了天敌与害虫之间空间生态位的重叠，影响到天敌对害虫的捕食能力。文中对BtA和灭多威对捕食性天敌及其猎物对象害虫空间生态位变化所引起的天敌-害虫数量变动进行了讨论。     

多位点生物杀虫毒素BtA形成的HPLC分析

 基于多位点生物杀虫毒素理论和生物耦合技术，研制生物杀虫毒素BtA，为新生物农药的开发提供了一种新思路、新方法和新手段。将苏云金芽孢杆菌（B.t.）晶体进行酶解改造，形成带末端氨基的原毒素；将阿维菌素的羟基进行激活、衍生化，形成带羧基的阿维菌素衍生物（Abamectin-COONa）；再利用氨基-羧基偶联剂（EDC）进行两种生物毒素的生物耦合。利用反相液相色谱（HPLC）检测不同反应时间的BtA生物耦合体系，以确定生物耦合反应的发生；通过反应底物两两组合的分析比较，识别生物耦合产物BtA生成的色谱特征，分析生物耦合产物---多位点生物杀虫毒素BtA的产生过程。     

Control of the mushroom phorid fly, Megaselia halterata (Wood), with plant extracts

BACKGROUND: The most serious insect pest problems affecting the cultivation of mushroom [Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach] in Turkey are mushroom flies (sciarids, cecids and phorids). Mushroom phorid fly, Megaselia halterata (Wood), is the most common insect pest species during April‐October. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for eight botanical materials (two commercial neem‐based products and six hot‐water plant extracts) to control M. halterata populations in three successive growing periods. RESULTS: Treatment efficacy was evaluated by assessing adult emergence and sporophore damage rates compared with that of a standard insecticide, chlorpyrifos‐ethyl (positive control). All plant extracts caused significant reductions in the mean number of emerging adults and sporophore damage rates compared with the water‐treated control (negative control). Reduction in adult emergence in both neem treatments, Neemazal and Greeneem oil, was greater than that in the positive control. While Neemazal and Origanum onites L. extract had significantly lower sporophore damage rates than the positive control, there were no significant differences between the chlorpyrifos‐ethyl, Greeneem oil and Pimpinella anisum L. extract treatments. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that both neem products and hot‐water extracts of O. onites and P. anisum may be potential alternatives to conventional pesticides for the control of mushroom phorid fly. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry