Termiticidal Activity Research Articles

Antioxidant, Fusarium growth inhibition and Nasutitermes corniger repellent activities of secondary metabolites from Myracrodruon urundeuva heartwood

Myracrodruon urundeuva heartwood is resistant to biodeterioration and lectin purified from heartwood showed antifungal and termiticidal activities. This report deals with antioxidant, antifungal and termite repellent activities of secondary metabolites from M. urundeuva heartwood. Saline (SE, active hemagglutinin preparation) and methanolic (ME, without hemagglutinating activity) extracts contain phenolic compounds, gallic acid, flavonoids, luteolin, cinamic derivatives, proanthocyanidins, hydrolysable tannins, and leucoanthocyanidins. Both SE and ME showed antioxidant activity and were effective in Fusarium growth inhibition. SE was efficient against Fusarium decemcellulare, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium solani but it had little effect against Fusarium lateritium. ME practically had no effect on F. decemcellulare and was more active than SE against F. lateritium. SE induced mortality of Nasutitermes corniger (LC 50 of 1.81 mg ml −1 for soldiers and 2.59 mg ml −1 for workers) and had no repellent activity. ME had no termiticidal activity but was a good repellent. The detected bioactivities point out the possibility of participation of secondary metabolites in the resistance of M. urundeuva heartwood to biodeterioration. Additionally, the results indicate the use of wood residues, as extracts, a source of natural bioactive agents.

Termiticidal Activity of Diterpenes from the Roots of Euphorbia kansui

Five ingenane compounds, 1-5, kansuinins A and B, isolated from Euphorbia kansui, and their derivatives 7 and 9 were tested for termiticidal activity against the Japanese termite, Reticulitermes speratus. At 72 hours after treatment, the ingenane compounds 1 to 5 caused 100% mortality in R. speratus at 50, 25 and 12.5 microg/disk, respectively, except for compound 1, which gave a mortality rate of (93.06 +/- 5.56)% at 12.5 microg/disk. At 36, 48 and 60 hours after treatment, compounds 1 to 5 showed more termiticidal activity than kansuinins A and B and their derivatives. The kansuinins showed no or only slight activity against termites in the filter paper bioassay under the conditions tested compared with a solvent control.

Imidacloprid mobility and longevity in soil columns at a termiticidal application rate

The mobility, longevity and termiticidal activity of imidacloprid (Premise 2 termiticide; Bayer Environmental Sciences) at the termiticidal labeled rate for perimeter treatment were tested in vegetated and non-vegetated soil columns in two tests: in cone plots and in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. Imidacloprid content in the cone plot eluate peaked at 1 month, declined rapidly by the second month and then entered a lagging phase. The concentration of imidacloprid in the cone plot soil declined from 84.5 microg g(-1) initially to 7.5 microg g(-1) (non-vegetated plots) and 8.1 microg g(-1) (vegetated plots) 6 months later. Neither eluate concentration nor soil concentration was affected by the presence of vegetation in the cone plots. In the PVC pipes, the top 15 cm of which was treated with Premise 2 at the perimeter labeled rate, imidacloprid half-life was estimated at 6-9 months for vegetated and non-vegetated soil. Extractable imidacloprid declined more rapidly in the first 15 months than afterwards. Mobility of imidacloprid into lower, untreated soil depths was higher in non-vegetated pipes, and was likely due to the effect of vegetation on soil moisture. The presence of vegetation had little effect on the termiticidal activity of treated soil in the PVC pipes.

Biodeterioration of treated Pinus radiata timber by Australian decay fungi and the termite Coptotermes acinaciformis in laboratory bioassays and field conditions

Abstract The resistance of Pinus radiata sapwood blocks treated with a boron-based preservative to biodeterioration by five Australian wood destroying fungi [Fomitopsis lilacino-gilva, Coniophora olivacea, Gloeophyllum abietinum (boron resistant), Serpula lacrymans and Perenniporia tephropora] was investigated. A phenyl pyrazole termiticide (fipronil) was also incorporated into the formulation to determine whether its presence affects biological efficacy. A linseed oil, liquid wax, terebene and trimethyl borate formulation inhibited decay by the trial fungi. Incorporation of fipronil did not affect the fungicidal properties. Fipronil alone exhibited no fungicidal activity. The termiticidal activity of fipronil was assessed (termite field test) in a formulation incorporating a fungicide, water repellent and drying agent in an alternative solvent carrier to that previously reported. The biological activity of the test compound was not diminished in this system. The 1-year progress performance of an ongoing in ground graveyard trial of similarly treated stakes, exposed to numerous termite species and decay fungi in tropical field conditions, is also presented. The predominant biological agent at the field site is the Australian subterranean termite Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt). Treated stake samples of the Australian softwood Pinus radiata were exposed.

土壌処理剤インドキサカルブ製剤を用いた試験例について

The basic termiticidal activity of Indoxacarb (Aperionsup(TM)), a new non-repellent termiticide, was evaluated under the laboratory and field conditions, and also the transfer effect of the compound was confirmed by a laboratory study. A treatment trial has been conducted using a building already attacked by Reticulitermes Speratus. The crawl space and the perimeter of the building were treated with Indoxacarb simultaneously due to the fact that the building had only a partial crawl space. No termite activities have been observed for two years after the treatment. These findings indicated Indoxacarb has a potent to reduce termite density and control termite around the building without direct application to galleries and damaged areas.

Antifeedant and toxicity effects of thiophenes from four Echinops species against the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus

Over 220 crude extracts from repositories generated from plants native to Greece and Kazakhstan were evaluated for termiticidal activity against the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Emerging from this screening effort were bioactive extracts from two Greek species (Echinops ritro L. and Echinops spinosissimus Turra subsp. spinosissimus) and extracts from two Kazakhstan species (Echinops albicaulis Kar. & Kir. and Echinops transiliensis Golosh.). Fractionation and isolation of constituents from the most active extracts from each of the four species has been completed, resulting in the isolation of eight thiophenes possessing varying degrees of termiticidal activity. 2,2':5',2"-Terthiophene and 5'-(3-buten-1-ynyl)-2,2'-bithiophene demonstrated 100% mortality against C. formosanus within 9 days at 1 and 2 wt% concentrations respectively. In addition, all but two of the eight compounds tested were significantly different from the solvent controls in the filter paper consumption bioassay.

05/02154 Preliminary evaluation of fungicidal and termiticidal activities of filtrates from biomass slurry fuel production

05/02154 Preliminary evaluation of fungicidal and termiticidal activities of filtrates from biomass slurry fuel production

Xylophagous insects: developments in feeding assays

Xylophagous insects: developments in feeding assays

Quaternary Ammonium Arylspiroborate Esters as Organo-Soluble, Environmentally Benign Wood Protectants

As part of a larger project aimed at the development of leach resistant boron-based wood preservatives, the anti-fungal and termiticidal activities, and the resistance to leaching from timber, of three related tetra-n-butylammonium spiroborates, tetra-n-butylammonium bis(ortho-hydroxymethylphenolato)borate 2, tetra-n-butylammonium bis[catecholato(2–)-O,O′]borate 3, and tetra-n-butylammonium bis[salicylato(2−)-O,O']borate 4, have been examined. All three borates are found to be active against test organisms, with the following orders of activity being observed: 2 > 3 > 4 > boric acid against wood decay fungi, and 2 > 3 ≈ 4 > boric acid against termites. The most active compound in both assays 2 also has the highest calculated lipophilicity. In a test for permanence in wood, the following order of leach resistance is observed: 4 >> 3 ≈ 2 > boric acid. This order appears to correlate more closely with the stability constants of the borate esters, as determined using 11B NMR spectroscopy, rather than calculated lipophilicities.

Effects of stilbenes from bark of Picea glehnii (Sieb. et Zucc) and their related compounds against feeding behaviour of Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe)

The effects of stilbene glucosides and related compounds on termite feeding behavior were investigated using paper disc methods against the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus. The stilbene-rich fraction and isorhapontin (3′-methoxy-3,4′, 5-trihydroxystilbene-3-β-d-glucoside) from bark extracts of Picea glehnii showed avoidance by termites in choice tests. In the no-choice tests using compounds purified from the stilbene-rich fraction, the largest feeding deterrent effect was observed for piceid (3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene-3-β-d-glucoside), followed by isorhapontin, and astringin (3,3′,4′,5-tetrahydroxystilbene-3-β-d-glucoside), at the concentrations from 0.63 to 2.5 µmol/disc. No change in activity was observed at retentions of more than 5.0 µmol/disc. When the activities of isorhapontin and its aglycone derivative (isorhapontigenin: 3′-methoxy-3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene) were compared with that of taxifolin (3,3′,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavanone) in the no-choice test, the stilbenes exhibited a larger antifeedant potential. Methylation of isorhapontigenin increased its termiticidal activity.

Toxicity of pine resin derivatives to subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

In the search of alternatives for conventional fungicides and insecticides, the use of natural plant products for the protection of wood is one of the most appealing fields of work. Dehydroabietic acid, the main compound of dismutated rosin, a renewable raw material from Portuguese forests, and some of its derivatives, were recognized as having bactericidal, fungicidal or fungistatic properties that could eventually be used for wood protection. The work presented here is part of a project aimed at developing this possibility and to extend that action to insects, namely termites, as diterpene acids have been reported to be antifeedants against aphids and sawflies and several other similar products have been studied for the same end‐use. Pine resin and eight of its derivatives were bio‐assayed to test for termiticidal activity and to assess the LC50 of the compounds, whenever toxic activity was recorded. A comparison was made with the activity of an established termiticide, boron. There was a high degree of variation between the products tested: resin, resinate, resinol, dehydroabietic acid and trans‐deisopropyldehydroabietanol showed negligible activity; dehydroabietanol and cis‐deisopropyldehydroabietanol showed activity at higher concentrations; two mixtures of cis‐/trans‐deisopropyldehydroabietanol had a promising performance in terms of anti‐termite activity and will be further evaluated. This paper presents results that will contribute to the development of new termiticides from a renewable resource and with better behaviour towards the environment.

Three New Sesquiterpenes from the Black Heartwood of Cryptomeria japonica.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

Preliminary evaluation of fungicidal and termiticidal activities of filtrates from biomass slurry fuel production

Biomass slurry fuel (BSF) production has recently been developed as a natural energy for the conversion of solid biomass into fuel. In addition to using fuel, filtrates from BSF production may also serve a chemical source with several organic compounds. There is an increasing interest in the research and application of biomass-based filtrates. In this study, fungicidal and termiticidal properties of filtrates from BSF production using sugi ( Cryptomeria japonica) and acacia ( Acacia mangium) wood were evaluated in laboratory decay and termite resistance tests. Wood blocks treated with the filtrates showed increased resistance against brown-rot fungus, Fomitopsis palustris. However the filtrates from sugi wood processed at 270 °C which contained less phenolic compounds than the other filtrates were effective against white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor. Phenolic compounds of filtrates seemed to play a role in the decay resistance tests however the filtrates did not increase the durability of the wood blocks against subterranean termites Coptotermes formosanus. Despite high acetic and lactic acid content of the filtrates, vanillin content of the filtrates may have served as an additional food source and promoted termite attack. It can be concluded that filtrates with phenolic compounds from lignin degradation during BSF production can be considered for targeted inhibition of brown-rot.

Three new sesquiterpenes from the black heartwood of Cryptomeria japonica.

Three new sesquiterpenes, (4S)-2,6,10-bisaboratrien-4-ol-1-one (1), 1,8-epoxy-1(6),2,4,7,10-bisaborapenta-en-4-ol (2), and 1-methoxy-4-cadinene (3) have been isolated from the black heartwood of Cryptomeria japonica. Compounds 1 and 2 were designated sugikurojinols A and B, respectively, and the structures of compounds 1-3 were established by extensive NMR experiments. Compounds 1 and 2 were also examined for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and for termiticidal activity against Coptotermes formosanus SHIRAKI.

Synthetic approach to exo-endo cross-conjugated cyclohexadienones and its application to the syntheses of dehydrobrachylaenolide, isodehydrochamaecynone, and trans-isodehydrochamaecynone.

Methodology for synthesis of exo-endo cross-conjugated dienones with trans- and cis-decalin systems has been reported. Bromination of the silyl enol ether of alpha'-methyl alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones with PTAB and successive dehydrobromination of the resulting alpha'-bromo-alpha'-methyl alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones under three conditions (DBU/PhH; TBAF/THF; Li(2)CO(3), LiBr/DMF) gave the desired exo-endo cross-conjugated dienones in good yield. This method was applied to the syntheses of dehydrobrachylaenolide (1), isodehydrochamaecynone (5c), and trans-isodehydrochamaecynone (11) starting from tuberiferine (7), chamaecynone (5a), and trans-chamaecynone (9). Eudesmanolides possessing an alpha-methylene gamma-lactone moiety, i.e., 1, 7, and 13, exhibited significant inhibitory activity toward the induction of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Compound 1 showed greater activity than 7 and 13. All compounds possessing an ethynyl group, 5d, 9, 11, and 14, showed the same degree of termiticidal activity, and the exo-endo cross-conjugated dienone structure in 11 had no influence on the activity.

Composition and antitermite activities of essential oils from Melaleuca species

The composition and antitermite activities of nine essential oils from two Melaleuca species, gelam and cajuputi, were compared using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis and bioassays. Gelam oils were rich in compounds whose boiling points were high, and they were separated into the elemene-rich type and the γ-terpinene- and terpinolene-rich type. Cajuputi oils in this experiment were categorized into three chemotypes according to their 1,8-cineole content: high, low, none. In the termiticidal activity test, gelam oils were stronger than most cajuputi oils in the contact condition. The elemene-rich gelam lost its activity in the noncontact condition, whereas another type of gelam kept its termiticidal activity. The authentic sample of elemene showed the same result as the elemene-rich gelam, indicating that the termiticidal activity of gelam was caused by at least two types of compound: elemene and “others.” 1,8-Cineole exhibited the same tendency as elemene, but it was weak. Hence the 1,8-cineole content of cajuputi was irrelevant to termiticidal activity of samples that exhibited strong activity under both conditions despite their high content. The appearances of gelam and cajuputi leaves are easily confused, a problem that has not yet been solved. Other scientific methods, such as genetic analysis, are required to identify gelam. The difference in the compositions and antitermite activities, however, were charified in this experiment.

ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis and Termiticidal Activity of Pyrazolopyrimidine Derivatives: N1‐Nicotinoyl‐4′‐(sulfa/substituted phenylazo)‐1,2‐diazole‐4,6‐dimethyl Pyrimidin‐5‐one.

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Termiticidal activity of wood vinegar, its components and their homologues

The termiticidal activity of wood vinegar, its components, and their homologues have been studied. Three kinds of wood vinegar made from the mixed chips ofCryptomeria japonlca andPseudotsga menziesii (wood vinegar A),Quercus serrata (wood vinegar B), andPinus densiflora (wood vinegar C) exhibited high termiticidal activities againstReticulitermes speratus. Acetic acid, which is the largest content of wood vinegar, exhibited high termiticidal acitivity. The contents of organic fraction of wood vinegars and acetic acid might be responsible for the differences in termiticidal activities among these wood vinegars. The structure and termiticidal activity relations of phenols were studied. Phenol with some substituents revealed higher termiticidal activity than benzene derivatives, which have no hydroxyl group; an ortho substituent of phenol plays an important role in termiticidal activity. It has become apparent that high termiticidal activity cannot be obtained by a phenolic hydroxyl group alone; it can be obtained, however, by some substituents, especially an ortho substituent in addition to a phenolic hydroxyl group. The bulkiness of the substituent at the ortho position participates in termiticidal activity; activity decreases as the size of an ortho substituent increases. It is thought that the interaction at the receptor site of termites is affected by the increased size of the ortho substituent.

Antitermitic activity of essential oils and components from Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides).

Antitermitic activity of Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata) against Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki was demonstrated in laboratory tests. Blocks of sapwood and heartwood from T. cryptomerioides exhibited antitermitic activity. Bioassays revealed that heartwood essential oil exhibited the highest antitermitic activity, followed by sapwood essential oil and then the n-C6H14 soluble fraction when tested at 10 mg/g. The order of termite mortality of three compounds purified from n-C6H14 soluble extracts of heartwood was cedrol > alpha-cadinol > ferruginol. The termite resistance of T. cryptomerioides wood can be attributed to the termiticidal activity of cedrol and alpha-cadinol.

Improvement of Antitermitic Activities of Catechin by Combination with Heavy Metals

SummaryAntitermitic activities of catechin-metal complexes were investigated for further utilization of catechin as a termite control agent. Catechin (CA), heavy metal salts (NiCl2, CuCl2, ZnCl2) and CA/metal mixtures with Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) were subjected to bioassays using a subterranean termite,Coptotermes formosanusShiraki. The astringent properties of each system were assessed by measuring the weight of precipitate with bovine serum albumin (BSA). Changes in UV spectra of the CA/metal mixtures were also measured. CA caused less than 30% mortality after the 21-day test period, and had no BSA-precipitating capacity. The effects of heavy metals on CA activities varied with metal. CA/Ni(II) showed the highest termiticidal activity among tested materials, but exhibited no BSA-precipitating capacity and little change in UV spectrum. On the other hand, both CA/Cu(II) and CA/Zn(II) increased the BSA-precipitating capacity and UV absorption with time after preparing the CA/metal solutions, but their termiticidal activity was almost equal to CA. Termiticidal activity of CA was improved by the addition of Ni(II) but hardly changed by Cu(II) or Zn(II), while astringent properties of CA were hardly changed by addition of Ni(II) but improved by Cu(II) or Zn(II). Termiticidal activity was negatively correlated with astringent property.