| Abstract: | Various isomeric mixtures of pyrethroids were examined in topical application tests against houseflies, Musca domestica. On the basis of the activities of the separate isomers of 5-benzyl-3-furylmethyl (±)-cis,trans-chrysanthemate, it was shown that when combined in pairs to give the (±)-trans or (±)-cis or (+)-cis,trans mixtures the observed mortalities did not differ from those expected by simple additive action calculated by the harmonic mean. In contrast the (±)-cis,trans mixture showed considerable antagonism with a mortality only 60% of that expected. Similar evaluations using the separate and combined isomers of bioallethrin (R,S)-3-allyl-2-methyl-4-oxocyclopent-2-enyl (allethronyl) ( + )-trans-(1R,3R)-chrysanthemate] and the corresponding (+)-cis-(1R,3S)-chrysanthemate indicate antagonism calculated to be correlated with the content of the (R)-isomer of the alcoholic moiety. Hence the activity of the most active isomer of the “allethrin” series, (S)-3-allyl-2-methyl-4-oxocyclopent-2-enyl ( + )-trans-(1R,3R)-chrysanthemate, (S)-bioallethrin, is not fully realised unless it is present in pure form and a substantial part of the value of bioresmethrin (5-benzyl-3-furylmethyl ( + )-trans-chrysanthemate] as a killing agent is lost when the racemic form is used. In racemic mixtures there is mutual antagonism between pairs of isomers so that considerable masking of activity occurs. |
