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In pursuit of potent and environmentally benign insecticides targeting the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, a series of novel meta-diamide compounds bearing a phthalimide were rationally designed and synthesized. Bioassay studies revealed that most of the target compounds exhibited promising larvicidal activity against Mythimna separata ( M. separata ) and Plutella xylostella ( P. xylostella ). Notably, the most active compound N 15 displayed exceptional potency with LC 50 values of 3.82 and 3.42 mg·L -1 against M. separata and P. xylostella , respectively. Electrophysiological studies using Xenopus oocytes confirmed that compound N 15 exerted its insecticidal activity by targeting the GABA receptors.

The rising application of conventional synthetic insecticides develops resistant populations of houseflies; therefore, using new chemical agents with different modes of action is essential to overcome this problem. The mechanical grinding technique was used as a green method, to synthesize the tested compounds because it is a more facile work-up and high-yield economy, simplicity and solvent-free than conventional thermal technique. Various methods were employed to synthesize new heterocycles containing anthracene (a photosensitizing agent) from chalcone 3, a building block material such as the preparation of the pyrazole derivatives 4-7, isoxazole derivative 8, pyrimidines 9-11, and oxirane derivative 12. The novel synthesized compounds were analyzed by FT-IR, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR spectra, and elemental analysis. Herein, the toxicity of the anthracene derivatives was assessed against Musca domestica larvae and adults in different conditions to demonstrate the effect of various inserted moieties on the efficiency of tested compounds. Furthermore, the influence of sunlight on the toxicity of anthracene was studied in dark and sunlight tests against adult houseflies. Moreover, these compounds diminished the total protein and lipids contents while significantly influencing the antioxidant enzymes activities of M. domestica adults. Structure-activity relationships demonstrated the role of each moiety on the toxicity of compounds., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Insect transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels are critical targets for insecticides. In this study, various scaffold-hopping strategies were employed in the rational design of pyridylhydrazono derivatives as potential insect TRPV channels modulators. Insecticidal bioassay demonstrated that the initial target compounds exhibited lower insecticidal activity compared to pymetrozine, with the optimal compound B3 exhibiting a mortality rate of 53.3 % against Aphis craccivora at 400 mg L -1 . Conformation analysis indicated that the high energy barrier required for the transition from the lowest-energy conformation to the active conformation may be a key factor contributing to the reduced insecticidal activities of the target compounds. Further structural optimizations aimed at reducing this energy barrier through binding mode-based conformation regulation led to the identification of optimal target 4-(3'-pyridylhydrazono)pyrazol-5-one derivatives C1 and C2. These compounds exhibited reduced transition energy barriers and improved insecticidal activity, with moderate mortality rate of 66.3 % and 75.7 % against A. craccivora at 400 mg L -1 , respectively. These findings provide valuable insights for future research on the discovery of insect TRPV modulators and have significant implications for the development of more effective agricultural insecticides., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Celangulin V is a natural β-dihydroagarofuran derivative isolated from Celastrus angulatus which shows insecticidal activity in many agricultural pests. Using celangulin V as a molecular probe, we find out a new pesticide target: subunit H of V-ATPase. To explore the potential application of this novel target, lead sulfonamides have been found through virtual screening. Combined with the previous work, 46 sulfonamide derivatives are designed and synthesized. All target compounds are first screened for their insecticidal activities against Mythimna separata. The results of bioassay reveal that most of the designed compounds exhibit significant insecticidal activities against third-instar larvae of M. separata under the concentration of 10 mg/mL, and compound 8.4 shows the highest activity with LC 50 value of 1.72 mg/mL, 15-fold smaller than that of celangulin V (25.89 mg/mL). Molecular docking results further indicated that compound 8.4 might serve as a potential inhibitor of the subunit H of V-ATPase. This study provides a potential sulfonamide candidate compound for the M. separata control., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Preclinical and/or clinical studies have demonstrated the potential of Ivermectin (IVM) for malaria control. In order to improve its antiplasmodial activity and build on previous knowledge, we have designed a third generation of hybrid molecules in which selected pharmacophores were appended to the IVM macrolide, while retaining one or both sugar moieties at the C-13 position. Moreover, we synthesized IVM hybrids that contain structural features of potent IVM metabolites. The evaluation of the in vitro antiplasmodial activity of these compounds against Plasmodium berghei pre-erythrocytic stages and Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic stages identified molecules that displayed enhanced activity against the latter when compared to IVM. Additionally, two IVM intermediates and one IVM hybrid retained the insecticidal activity of the parental molecule, clarifying the contribution of the sugar moieties to this feature. Altogether, these results provide key structure-activity relationships to guide the rational design of new generations of IVM hybrids.

In recent years, isoxazole insecticides or parasiticides targeting the γ-aminobutyric acid receptor, such as fluralaner or fluxametamide, featured a novel chemical structure and exhibited potent insecticidal activity with no-cross resistance. Thus, many research institutes have tried to modify the structures of these agents to find a new insecticide. Previously, the majority of researchers stuck to the "phenyl-isoxazole-phenyl" structure, making modifications only to other components. In this study, the "phenyl-isoxazole-phenyl" ternary motif was modified for the first time based on bioisosterism theory. A series of new derivatives carrying pyrazoline and 1,3,4-oxadiazole moieties were designed and synthesized to investigate their insecticidal activities against the diamondback moth ( Plutella xylostella ) and fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ). Preliminary bioassay data showed that some of the target compounds exhibited good insecticidal activities against P. xylostella and S. frugiperda . Especially, compound A21 showed insecticidal activity against P. xylostella (LC 50 = 1.2 μg/mL) better than commercial insecticide ethiprole (LC 50 = 2.9 μg/mL) but worse than parasiticide fluralaner (LC 50 = 0.5 μg/mL). Similarly, compound A21 exhibited insecticidal activity to S. frugiperda (LC 50 = 13.2 μg/mL) better than commercial insecticide fipronil (LC 50 = 78.8 μg/mL) but worse than fluralaner (LC 50 = 0.7 μg/mL). Compound A21 could serve as a potential lead compound to control P. xylostella and S. frugiperda . The three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship model revealed that the further introduction of an electron-donating group in the 2- or 3-site may increase the insecticidal activity of A21 . Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the hydrogen bond of A21 and receptor was important for the binding receptor. This study has identified a new substructure called "phenyl-pyrroline-oxadiazole" instead of the previously known "phenyl-isoxazole-phenyl" substructure, offering a useful guide for the design of novel insecticide molecules.

In this work, a novel series of N-(arylcarbamothioyl)arylmide) 2-11 were synthesized by treating One-Pot three-multicomponent of Aroyl chloride, ammonium isothiocyanate and amine compounds under refluxing conditions. Using spectroscopic methods, the chemical structure of the novelty developed compounds were investigated. After five days, the proposed derivatives' insecticidal bioassay was assessed using the median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) against the second & fourth larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda as toxicity agents. The findings showed that, to varying degrees, every tested substance exerted insecticidal effects on S. frugiperda larvae in both of their instars. Compound 9 was the most poisonous of them all, having an LC 50 against larvae in their second and fourth instars of 60.45 and 123.21 mg/L, respectively. Additionally, a few biological and biochemical characteristics of the substances that were generated in a lab setting were also looked at. Furthermore, this work discusses how to discover novel compounds that may one day be employed as insecticidal agents. Finally, all the designed components were monitored for their antibacterial effectiveness toward both Gram-positive & Gram-negative bacteria., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

As a result of its high reactivity, furan-2(3H)-one derivative 2 can be selected as a versatile and suitable candidate for building of novel nitrogen heterocyclic compounds. Consequently, furan-2(3H)-one derivative 2 and some nitrogen nucleophiles were utilized as starting materials for the formation of new pyridazinone and pyrrolone derivatives bearing naphthalene moiety. The continuous buildup of insecticide resistance is the main obstacle facing pest control measures. Pyrrole-based insecticides are a favourable choice due to their unique mode of action and no cross-resistance with traditional neurotoxic insecticides. The larvicidal activities of pyrrolone derivatives were assessed against field and laboratory strains of Culex pipiens larvae in comparison with chlorfenapyr (pyrrole insecticide). Compounds 17 (21.05 µg/mL) > 9 (22.81 µg/mL) > 15 (24.39 µg/mL) > 10 (26.76 µg/mL) > 16 (32.09 µg/mL) were most effective against lab strain of C. pipiens larvae relative to chlorfenapyr (25.43 µg/mL). While in field strain, 17 and 15 were the most toxic compounds followed by 9 > 10 > 16 > 2 with LC 50 of 9.87, 10.76, 11.52, 12.68, 15.32 and 18.37 µg/mL, respectively, compared with chlorfenapyr with 14.03 µg/mL. The cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase activities were significantly increased in treated larvae of lab and field strains relative to untreated. The great variations in toxicity of the synthesized compounds were interpreted by structure-activity relationship study. The pyrrolone derivatives are effective against field and insecticide-resistant strains. Therefore, they are considered promising compounds to be integrated into pest management programs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Chitinases play an important role in the molting process of insects and are potential targets for the development of green insecticides. Based on the feature that the +1/+2 sites in Of ChtI, Of ChtII, and Of Chi-h have tryptophan residues in mismatch-parallel position, a strategy to introduce indole scaffold into chitinase inhibitors was proposed, and multitarget chitinase inhibitors containing N -methylcarbamoylguanidinyl and indole scaffold were successfully synthesized. The inhibitory activity showed that compound 8u exhibited significant inhibitory activity against Of ChtI, Of ChtII, and Of Chi-h, with IC 50 values of 0.7, 0.79, and 0.58 μM, and K i values of 0.05 ± 0.005, 0.065 ± 0.004, and 0.025 ± 0.006 μM, respectively. In vivo insecticidal activity showed that compounds 8a and 8g exhibited excellent insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella and Mythimna separata , with LC 50 values of 0.79 and 9.17 mg/L against P. xylostella , respectively, and 3.58 and 83.09 mg/L against M. separata , respectively, making them the most potent chitinase inhibitors with in vivo insecticidal activity discovered to date. The inhibition mechanism and binding free energy results suggested that N -methylcarbamoylguanidinyl binds to the -1 catalytic site, while additional interactions acquired by π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions of the indole scaffold with tryptophan increase the binding affinity of the targets to chitinases. This work provides a new direction for the development of chitinase inhibitors with compounds 8a and 8g potentially serving as promising candidates for pesticide development.

5-(Cyanomethyl)-3-((5,5-dimethyl-3-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-yl)amino)-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile (3) is used as a key for the synthesis of arylidenes 5 a-fvia its reaction with some aldehydes 4 a-f. 5-[(5,5-Dimethyl-3-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-yl)amino]-3-(2-imino-2H-chromen-3-yl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile (7) was synthesized via the reaction of compound (3) with 2-Hydroxybenzaldehyde in EtOH/piperidine. The target compounds were tested against cotton leafworm larvae in their second and fourth instar. The available data demonstrated that the LC 50 values for commercial phenylpyrazole were 3.37 mg/L and 4.55 mg/L for the most affected synthesized compound, 5 b. The chemical structure of compound 5 bhas two cyano moieties, a pyrazole ring and a chlorophenyl, which may be increasing it efficiency. Evaluation of the latent effects of the examined synthesized compounds on various biological parameters, including adult longevity, pupal weight, proportion of normal, deformed pupae, adult emergency, fecundity, and egg hatchability, was done in an additional effort to slightly improve insecticidal compounds. Seven target synthesized compounds were subjected to a molecular docking analysis against glutamate-activated chloride channels. Twelve artificial compounds with the PDB ID of 4COF were subjected to a molecular docking study against the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA)., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Three new series of 3-(substituted)methylthio-4-cyano-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroisoquinolines were designed and synthesized starting from readily available materials, 7-acetyl-4-cyano-1,6-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-8-(4-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, phenyl, 4-methoxyphenyl, or 4-chlorophenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrosoquinoline-3(2 H )-thiones 2a - e in high yields and very pure states. Thus, compounds 2a - e were reacted with some chloro reagents, namely, N -aryl-2-chloroacetamides 3a - f and N -(naphthalen-2-yl)-2-chloroacetamide ( 3g ) under mild basic conditions to give the first two series of the target compounds, 3-( N -aryl)carbamoylmethylthio-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroisoquinoline-4-carbonitriles 4a - l and 5a - e , respectively. Reaction of compounds 2d , e with ethyl chloroacetate under the same conditions gave the other series, 3-ethoxycarbonyl-methylthio-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroisoquinoline-4-carbonitriles 6d , e . Structural formulas of all of the new compounds were elucidated and confirmed by elemental and spectral analyses. The insecticidal activity of all synthesized 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrosoquinolines toward the nymphs and adults of Aphis gossypii were screened. The results revealed the promising insecticidal activity of some tested compounds. Moreover, the structure-activity relationships as well as molecular docking of some representative compounds were evaluated.

The long-term use of agricultural insecticides has led to the development of resistant strains. In this context, the isoxazoline structure has become an active area of pesticide research owing to its wide insecticidal spectrum, nontoxicity to mammals, and lack of cross-resistance with known insecticides. In the present study, based on the discovery of compound G22 in our previous work, a series of novel isoxazoline compounds containing acylhydrazine were designed and synthesized using a scaffold hopping strategy. The insecticidal activities of the target compounds were assessed, and compound L17 (LC 50 = 0.489 mg/L) showed insecticidal activity against Spodoptera frugiperda superior to those of the commercial insecticides indoxacarb (LC 50 = 3.14 mg/L) and fluralaner (LC 50 = 0.659 mg/L). Theoretical calculations indicated that the introduction of acylhydrazine plays an important role in the biological activity of the target compounds. Furthermore, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and molecular docking results indicated that L17 may act on the GABA receptor of the target insect. These results indicated that L17 is a potential candidate compound for controlling S. frugiperda populations in agriculture.

Vacuolar-type H + -ATPases (V-ATPases) play a crucial role in the life cycle of agricultural pests and represent a promising target for the development of novel insecticides. In this study, S18 , a derivative of vanillin acquired from Specs database using a structure-based virtual screening methodology, was first identified as a V-ATPase inhibitor. It binds to subunit A of the enzyme with a K d of 1 nM and exhibits insecticidal activity against M. separata . Subsequently, using S18 as the lead compound, a new series of vanillin derivatives were rationally designed and efficiently synthesized. and their biological activities were assessed. Among them, compound 3b-03 showed the strongest insecticidal activity against M. separata of 0.803 μM. Isothermal titration calorimetric measurements and docking results provided insights into its interaction with subunit A of V-ATPase, which could facilitate future research aimed at the development of novel chemical insecticides.K d of 0.803 μM. Isothermal titration calorimetric measurements and docking results provided insights into its interaction with subunit A of V-ATPase, which could facilitate future research aimed at the development of novel chemical insecticides.

The objective of this study was to develop pyrazolidine-3,5-dione derivatives with potential as environmentally friendly pesticides for pest control, specifically focusing on their efficacy as larvicidal agents. A novel one-pot synthesis of multicomponent pyrazolidine-3,5-dione derivatives (1a-m) was accomplished via the grindstone method using Cu(II)tyrosinase enzyme as a catalyst under mild reaction conditions, yielding 84%-96%. The synthesised derivatives (1a-m) were characterized using various spectroscopic methods (mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, FT-IR, and 1H and 13C NMR). NMR characterisation using DMSO-d6 as a solvent. The larvicidal and antifeedant activities of the synthesised compounds were screened and in silico computational studies were performed. The larvicidal activity against Culex quinquefasciatus and antifeedant activity against Oreochromis mossambicus were evaluated. Among the synthesised compounds, compound 1c demonstrated superior efficacy (LD50: 9.7 μg/mL) against C. quinquefasciatus compared to permethrin (LD50: 17.1 μg/mL). Regarding antifeedant activity, compounds 1a, 1e, 1f, 1j, and 1k exhibited 100% mortality at 100 μg/mL. Molecular docking analysis was performed to assess the binding capacity of a mosquito odorant-binding protein (3OGN) from Culex quinquefasciatus to compound 1c. The results revealed that compound 1c had a docking score of -10.4 kcal/mol, surpassing that of standard permethrin (-9.5 kcal/mol). Furthermore, DFT calculations were conducted to acquire theoretical data aligned with the experimental FT-IR results. According to experimental research, compound 1c demonstrates promising larvicidal activity against mosquito larvae of C. quinquefasciatus., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Loganathan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Isoxazoline insecticides have shown broad-spectrum insecticidal activity against a variety of insect pests. However, the high toxicity of isoxazoline compounds towards honeybees restricts their application in crop protection. To mitigate this issue, a series of isoxazoline derivatives containing 2-phenyloxazoline were designed and synthesized. Bioassays revealed that several compounds exhibited promising insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella, with G28 showing particularly excellent insecticidal activity, reflected by an LC 50 value of 0.675 mg/L, which is comparable to that of fluxametamide (LC 50  = 0.593 mg/L). Furthermore, G28 also exhibited effective insecticidal activity against Solenopsis invicta. Importantly, bee toxicity experiments indicated that G28 had significantly lower acute oral toxicity (LD 50  = 2.866 μg/adult) compared to fluxametamide (LD 50  = 1.083 μg/adult) and fluralaner (LD 50  = 0.022 μg/adult), positioning it as a promising candidate with reduced toxicity to bees. Theoretical simulation further elucidated the reasons for the selective differences in the ability of isoxazoline to achieve higher insecticidal activity while maintaining lower bee toxicity. This research suggests that isoxazoline compounds containing 2-phenyloxazoline group hold potential as new insecticide candidates and offers insights into the development of novel isoxazoline insecticides with both high efficacy and environmental safety., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The synthesized pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives conjugated with selenium nanoparticles were prepared via a reaction of pyrazolone 1 with aryl-aldehyde and malononitrile or 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanenitrile in the presence ammonium acetate or pipridine using an ultrasonic bath as a modified method in the organic synthesis for such materials. The structure of the synthesized compounds was elucidated through various techniques. All the synthesized pyrazolopyrimidines were used in the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). These nanoparticles were confirmed using UV-spectra, Dynamic Light scattering and (TEM) techniques. The larvicidal efficiency;of the synthesized;compounds; was investigated against some strains such as Culex pipiens;and Musca domestica larvae. Bioassay test showed pyrazolopyrimide derivatives to exhibit an acceptable larvicidal;bio-efficacy. The derivative (3) exhibited;the highest;efficiency for more than; lab strains of both species. Moreover, C. pipiens larvae were more sensitive towards the examined compounds than M. domestica. The field;strain displayed lower affinity for the 2 folds compounds. Some biochemical changes were tracked through analysis of insect main metabolites (protein, lipid and carbohydrate), in addition to measuring the changes in seven enzymes after treatment. Generally, there was a reduction in the protein, lipids and carbohydrates after treatment with all tested compounds. Moreover, a decrement was noticed for acetylcholine esterase and glutathione;S-transferase; enzymes. There was an increment in the acid;phosphatase; and alkaline phosphatase. In addition, there was elevation in Phenoloxidase level but it noticed the declination in both Cytochrome P450 and Ascorbate peroxidase activity after treatment both flies with derivatives of selenium-nanoparticles in both lab and field strain. Generally, the experiments carried out indicate that antioxidant and detoxification enzymes may play a significant role in mechanism of action of our novel nanocompounds. The cytotoxicity of the synthesized compounds and conjugated with SeNPs showed enhanced compatibility with human normal fibroblast cell line (BJ1) with no toxic effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Some heterocycles bearing a benzo[h]quinoline moiety were synthesized through treating a 3-((2-chlorobenzo[h]quinolin-3-yl)methylene)-5-(p-tolyl)furan-2(3H)-one with four nitrogen nucleophiles comprising ammonium acetate, benzylamine, dodecan-1-amine, and 1,2-diaminoethane. Also, thiation reactions of furanone and pyrrolinone derivatives were investigated. The insecticidal activity of these compounds against mosquito larvae (Culex pipiens L.) was evaluated. All tested compounds exhibited significant larvicidal activity, surpassing that of the conventional insecticide chlorpyrifos. In silico docking analysis revealed that these compounds may act as acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, potentially explaining their larvicidal effect. Additionally, interactions with other neuroreceptors, such as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and sodium channel voltage-gated alpha subunit were also predicted. The results obtained from this study reflected the potential of benzo[h]quinoline derivatives as promising candidates for developing more effective and sustainable mosquito control strategies. The ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) analyses displayed their desirable drug-likeness and oral bioavailability properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new series of substituted benzo[h]chromene, benzochromenopyrimidine, and benzochromenotriazolopyrimidine derivatives were synthesized via chemical transformations of iminonitrile, ethoxymethylene amino, and cyanomethylene functionalities. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were assured by spectroscopic data and elemental analysis. The larvicidal efficacy of these compounds against Culex pipiens L. larvae was investigated, revealing potent insecticidal activity, particularly for compounds 6, 10, and 16, exceeding that of the standard insecticide chlorpyrifos. The mode of action of these compounds was explored through molecular docking studies, indicating their potential as acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibitors and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) blockers. The structure-activity relationship analysis highlighted the influence of substituents and fused heterocyclic rings on larvicidal potency. These findings suggest that the synthesized compounds hold promise as potential candidates for developing novel and effective mosquito control agents., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To discover novel natural product-based insecticides, a series of (+)-nootkatone-based amine derivatives 3a-t were prepared and evaluated for their insecticidal activities against Mythimna separata Walker, Myzus persicae Sulzer, and Plutella xylostella Linnaeus. Insecticidal assays showed that most of the title (+)-nootkatone derivatives exhibited stronger insecticidal activities against three insect pests than the precursor (+)-nootkatone after the introduction of amine groups on the parent (+)-nootkatone. Compounds 3a , 3d , 3h , 3m , 3n , 3p , and 3r displayed more promising growth inhibitory (GI) effect against M. separata than the commercially available botanical insecticide toosendanin. Compound 3o exhibited the most potent aphicidal activity with an LD 50 value of 0.011 μg/larvae, which was 2.09-fold higher than the positive control rotenone. Additionally, compounds 3g and 3n showed more promising larvicidal activity against P. xylostella with LC 50 values of 260 and 230 mg/L, respectively, superior to that of rotenone (460 mg/L). Moreover, derivatives 3g and 3n exhibited better control efficacy toward P. xylostella than rotenone under greenhouse conditions. Preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that derivative 3n could inhibit the activity of glutathione S -transferase (GST) in P. xylostella and thus exerted larvicidal activity, and molecular docking further demonstrated that 3n could interact well with some amino acid residues of GST. Finally, the toxicity assay suggested that derivatives 3g and 3n were relatively less toxic to nontarget organisms. These findings will provide insights into the development of (+)-nootkatone derivatives as green pesticides.

Ethyl 5-cyano-1,6-dihydro-2-methyl-4-(2'-thienyl)-6-thioxonicotinate ( A ) was synthesized and reacted with ethyl chloroacetate in the presence of sodium acetate or sodium carbonate to give ethyl 5-cyano-6-((2-ethoxy-2-oxoethyl)thio)-2-methyl-4-(2'-thienyl)nicotinate ( 1a ) or its isomeric thieno[2,3- b ]pyridine 2a . 3-Aminothieno[2,3- b ]pyridine-2-carboxamide 2b was also synthesized by the reaction of A with 2-chloroacetamide. The reaction of 1a with hydrazine hydrate in boiling ethanol gave acethydrazide 3 . Heating ester 1a with hydrazine hydrate under neat conditions afforded 3-amino-1 H -pyrazolo[3,4- b ]pyridine 10 . Compounds 2b , 3, and 10 were used as precursors for synthesizing other new thieno[2,3- b ]pyridines and pyrazolo[3,4- b ]pyridines containing mainly the ethyl nicotinate scaffold. Structures of all new compounds were confirmed by elemental and spectral analyses. Most of the obtained compounds were evaluated for their insecticidal activity toward the nymphs and adults of Aphis gossypii (Glover,1887). Some compounds such as 4 , 9b, and 9c showed promising results. The effect of some sublethal concentrations, less than LC 50 , of compounds 4 , 9b, and 9c on the examined Aphis was subjected to a further study. The results demonstrated that exposure of A. gossypii nymphs to sublethal concentrations of compounds 4 , 9b, and 9c had noticeable effects on their biological parameters, i.e., nymphal instar duration, generation time, and adult longevity. The highest concentration C1 of all three compounds increased the nymphal instar duration and generation time and decreased adult longevity and vice versa.

Due to its severe damage, Spodoptera frugiperda is receiving attention as one of the biggest dangers to world food security. Although there are numerous insecticides that are widely and successfully used to control S. frugiperda, they do not have an immediate effect. In our work focusing for synthesized twelve novel benzamide derivatives and examined their insecticidal effectiveness against S. frugiperda larvae in their second & fourth larvae instars, with the aim of further improving the insecticidal activity based on combination principles. Several spectroscopic methods, including elemental analysis, NMR & infrared spectroscopy, were employed for confirming the structure of the newly designed products. It has been discovered that most compounds show good of promising efficacy. With an LC 50 of 24.8 mg/L for larvae in the second instar & 56.2 mg/L for larvae in the fourth instar, compound 23 was the most active. Among all compounds 11, 22 and 20 exhibited excellent results. Furthermore, a number of biological and histopathological properties of the demonstration compounds of the produced goods under laboratory conditions were also examined. This work further demonstrates the anti-proliferation of S. frugiperda and offers fresh ideas for the manufacture of benzamide derivatives., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

To synthesize the fundamental framework of dihydroagarofuran, a novel strategy was devised for constructing the C-ring through a dearomatization reaction using 6-methoxy-1-tetralone as the initial substrate. Subsequently, the dihydroagarofuran skeleton was assembled via two consecutive Michael addition reactions. The conjugated diene and trans-dihydroagarofuran skeleton were modified. The insecticidal activities of 33 compounds against Mythimna separata were evaluated. Compounds 11 - 5 exhibited an LC 50 value of 0.378 mg/mL. The activity exhibited a remarkable 29-fold increase compared to positive control Celangulin V, which was widely recognized as the most renowned natural dihydroagarofuran polyol ester insecticidal active compound. Docking experiments between synthetic compounds and target proteins revealed the shared binding sites with Celangulin V. Structure-activity relationship studies indicated that methyl groups at positions C4 and C10 significantly improved insecticidal activity, while ether groups with linear chains displayed enhanced activity; in particular, the allyl ether group demonstrated optimal efficacy. Furthermore, a three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship model was established to investigate the correlation between the skeletal structure and activity. These research findings provide valuable insights for discovering and developing dihydroagarofuran-like compounds.

In recent decades, the unique structural attributes and purported insecticidal properties of oximes have garnered increasing attention. A variety of insecticides, encompassing fluxametamide, fluhexafon, and lepimectin, have been synthesized, all of which incorporate oximes. This review endeavors to encapsulate the insecticidal efficacy, structure-activity correlations, and operative mechanisms of oxime-containing compounds. Furthermore, it delves into the conceptual frameworks underpinning the design of innovative oxime-based insecticides, thereby shedding light on prospective advancements in this field.

Using nicofluprole as the lead compound, we designed and synthesized a series of new phenylpyrazole analogues through substituting the methyl group on the nitrogen atom of the amide with an acyl group. Bioassay results showed that compounds A12 - A17 with a 1-cyanocyclopropimide group exhibited outstanding insecticidal activity. The LC 50 values for compounds A12 - A17 against Tetranychus cinnabarinus ranged from 0.58 to 0.91 mg/L. Compound A15 showed an LC 50 value of 0.29 and 3.10 mg/L against Plutella xylostella and Myzus persicae , respectively. Molecular docking indicated the potential binding interactions of compound A15 with a gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor. Additionally, density functional theory calculations implied that the 1-cyanocyclopropimide structure might be essential for its biological activity. Phenylpyrazole derivatives, containing a 1-cyanocyclopropimide fragment, have the potential for further development as potential insecticides.

Celangulin V is a novel botanical insecticide with significant bioactivity and a unique molecular target, but its complex polyol ester structure hinders its broader application in agriculture. To discover new analogues of celangulin V with a simpler structure and enhanced biological activities, we initiated a research project aimed at simplifying its structure and assessing insecticidal efficacy. In this study, a series of novel 1-tetralone derivatives were designed via a structure-based rational design approach and synthesized by a facile method. The biological activities of the target compounds were determined against Mythimna separata ( M. separata ), Plutella xylostella , and Rhopalosiphum padi . The results revealed that most of the synthesized compounds exhibited superior activities compared to celangulin V. Remarkably, the insecticidal activity of compound 6.16 demonstrated 102-fold greater stomach toxicity than celangulin V against M. separata . In addition, certain compounds showed significant contact toxicity against M. separata , a finding not reported previously in the structural optimization studies of celangulin V. Molecular docking analysis illustrated that the binding pocket of compound 6.16 with the H subunit of V-ATPase was the same as celangulin V. This study presents novel insights into the structural optimization of botanical pesticides.

In order to discover new meta-diamide compounds with good activity and novel structure, 15 related compounds were designed and synthesized by the bioisosterism principle with cyproflanilide as the lead compound. The insecticidal activities of these compounds against Plutella xylostella and Tetranychus cinnabarinus were tested, and the results of biological activity test showed that some compounds had more than 90 % insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella at 1 mg/L and Tetranychus cinnabarinus at 100 mg/L. Especially, N-(2-bromo-6-(difluoromethoxy)-4-(perfluoro propan-2-yl)phenyl)-6-(isonicotinamido)picolinamide against Tetranychus cinnabarinus at 10 mg/L was 100 %, which was better than that of cyproflanilide. Molecular docking studies suggested that N-(2-bromo-6-(difluoromethoxy)-4-(perfluoropropan-2-yl)phenyl)-6-(4-cyano-2-methylbenzamido)picolinamide had a closely combined with the Plutella xylostella 3RHW (a glutamate-gated chloride channel). This study provides an avenue for designing and synthesizing a new generation of more effective pesticides., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

A significant reason for developing innovative insecticidal active agents is the exponential rise in resistance to traditional chemical pesticides. Exploring new classes of insecticidal compounds with distinct mechanisms of action is one way to address this difficulty. So that, novel aryl thioamides derivatives 3-15 has been synthesized viaone-pot, three-component reaction of aroyl chloride, ammonium thiocyanate, and aromatic amines in dry acetone. The newly synthesized compounds' structures were validated by various spectroscopic methods, including elemental analysis, 1 H-NMR, 13 C NMR, and infrared spectroscopy. Under laboratory circumstances, the synthesized compounds showed good and broad-spectrum insecticidal activities toward S. littorali. When compared to other synthetic target compounds, 2,4-dichloro-N-[(3-fluorophenyl)carbamothioyl]benzamide 11, 2,4-dichloro-N-[(3-fluorophenyl)carbamothioyl]benzenecarbothioamide 13 showed good insecticidal activity, with 46.33 mg/L and LC 50 values of 49.25 mg/L for 2 nd instar larvae. Furthermore, the compound 3 was the least toxic in controlling the second and fourth instar larvae of S. littoralis on tomato leaves. Additionally, several histopathological and biochemical features of the some synthesized compounds under laboratory circumstances were also examined., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

In order to explore novel natural product-based insecticidal agent, two important intermediates (2 and 3) and 4-acyloxy-2'-bromo-6'-chloropodophyllotoxin derivatives (4 a-f and 5 a-f) were designed and prepared, and their structures were confirmed by 1 H-NMR, 13 C NMR, HRMS, ESI-MS, optical rotation and melting point (mp). The stereochemical configuration of compound 4 b was unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Moreover, we evaluated the insecticidal activity of target compounds 4 a-f and 5 a-f against a serious agricultural pest of Mythimna separata by using the leaf-dipping method. Among all tested compounds, compounds 4 d, 5 d and 5 f exhibited stronger insecticidal activity with a final mortality rate exceeding 60 %. Especially compound 5 d exhibited the best insecticidal activity, with a final mortality rate of 74.1 %. It has been proven that introducing bromine or chlorine atoms at the C-2', C-2' and C-6' positions of the E ring of podophyllotoxin can produce more potent compounds. In addition, the configuration of the C-4 position is important for insecticidal activity, and 4β-configuration is optimal. This will pave the way for further design, structural modification, and development of derivatives of podophyllotoxin as insecticidal agents., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

The design of novel agrochemicals starting from bioactive natural products is one of the most effective ways in the discovery and development of new pesticidal agents. In this paper, a series of novel butenolide-containing methylxanthine derivatives (Ia-Ir) were designed based on natural methylxanthine caffeine and stemofoline, and the derivatized insecticide flupyradifurone of the latter. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed via 1 H-NMR, 13 C NMR, HRMS and X-ray single crystal diffraction analyses. The biological activities of the compounds were evaluated against a variety of agricultural pests including oriental armyworm, bean aphid, diamondback moth, fall armyworm, cotton bollworm, and corn borer; the results indicated that some of them have favorable insecticidal potentials, particularly toward diamondback moth. Among others, Ic and Iq against diamondback moth possessed LC 50 values of 6.187 mg ⋅ L -1 and 3.269 mg ⋅ L -1 , respectively, - 2.5- and 4.8-fold of relative insecticidal activity respectively to that of flupyradifurone (LC 50 =15.743 mg ⋅ L -1 ). Additionally, both the DFT theoretical calculation and molecular docking with acetylcholine binding protein were conducted for the highly bioactive compound (Ic). Ic and Iq derived from the integration of caffeine (natural methylxanthine) and butenolide motifs can serve as novel leading insecticidal compounds for further optimization., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

The escalating resistance of agricultural pests to chemical insecticides necessitates the development of novel, efficient, and safe biological insecticides. Conus quercinus , a vermivorous cone snail, yields a crude venom rich in peptides for marine worm predation. This study screened six α-conotoxins with insecticidal potential from a previously constructed transcriptome database of C. quercinus , characterized by two disulfide bonds. These conotoxins were derived via solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and folded using two-step iodine oxidation for further insecticidal activity validation, such as CCK-8 assay and insect bioassay. The final results confirmed the insecticidal activities of the six α-conotoxins, with Qc1.15 and Qc1.18 exhibiting high insecticidal activity. In addition, structural analysis via homology modeling and functional insights from molecular docking offer a preliminary look into their potential insecticidal mechanisms. In summary, this study provides essential references and foundations for developing novel insecticides.

In this research, with an aim to develop novel pyrazole oxime ether derivatives possessing potential biological activity, thirty-two pyrazole oxime ethers, including a substituted pyridine ring, have been synthesized and structurally identified through 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and HRMS. Bioassay data indicated that most of these compounds owned strong insecticidal properties against Mythimna separata , Tetranychus cinnabarinus , Plutella xylostella , and Aphis medicaginis at a dosage of 500 μg/mL, and some title compounds were active towards Nilaparvata lugens at 500 μg/mL. Furthermore, some of the designed compounds had potent insecticidal effects against M. separata , T. cinnabarinus , or A. medicaginis at 100 μg/mL, with the mortalities of compounds 8a , 8c , 8d , 8e , 8f , 8g , 8o , 8s , 8v , 8x , and 8z against A. medicaginis , in particular, all reaching 100%. Even when the dosage was lowered to 20 μg/mL, compound 8s also expressed 50% insecticidal activity against M. separata , and compounds 8a , 8e , 8f , 8o , 8v , and 8x displayed more than 60% inhibition rates against A. medicaginis . The current results provided a significant basis for the rational design of biologically active pyrazole oxime ethers in future.

In this study, a new series of thiazolo[4,5-b]quinoxaline derivatives 3-8 were synthesized by treating 2,3-dichloroquinoxaline with thiosemicarbazone and thiourea derivatives under reflux conditions. The chemical structure of the newly designed derivatives was conducted using spectroscopic techniques. The insecticidal bioassay of the designed derivatives was evaluated against the 2nd and 4th larvae of S. litura after five days as toxicity agents via median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) and the lethal time values (LT 50 ). The results indicated that all the tested compounds had insecticidal effects against both instar larvae of S. litura with variable values. Among them, thiazolo[4,5-b]quinoxaline derivative 3 was the most toxic, with LC 50  = 261.88 and 433.68 ppm against 2nd and 4th instar larvae, respectively. Moreover, the thiazolo[4,5-b]quinoxaline derivative 3 required the least time to kill the 50% population (LT 50 ) of 2nd larvae were 20.88, 13.2, and 15.84 hs with 625, 1250, and 2500 ppm, respectively, while for the 4th larval instar were 2.75, 2.08, and 1.76 days with concentrations of 625, 1250, and 2500 ppm, respectively. Larvae's morphological and histological studies for the most active derivative 3 were investigated. According to SEM analysis, the exterior morphology of the cuticle and head capsule was affected. In addition, there were some histological alterations in the cuticle layers and the midgut tissues. Columnar cells began breaking down, and vacuolization occurred in the peritrophic membrane. Moreover, treating 4th S litura larvae hemolymph with compound 3 showed significant changes in biochemical analysis, such as total proteins, GPT, GOT, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and alkaline phosphatase (AlP). Finally, the toxicity prediction of the most active derivative revealed non-corrosive, non-irritant to the eye, non-respiratory toxicity, non-sensitivity to the skin, non-hepatotoxic, and don't have toxicity on minnow toxicity and T. pyriformis indicating a good toxicity profile for human., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Five types of heterocyclic compounds containing trifloromethylpyridine scaffold namely; 3-cyano-2-(N-phenyl)carbamoylmethylthio-6-(thiophen-2-yl)-4-trifluoromethyl-pyridine (6a), thieno[2,3-b]pyridines 3-5 and 7a-c, pyrido[3',2':4,5]thieno[3,2-d] pyrimidines 8-13 and 15a-c, pyrido[3',2':4,5]thieno[3,2-d][1,2,3]triazines 16a,b, and 9-(thiophen-2-yl)-7-(trifluoromethyl) pyrido [3',2':4,5]thieno[2,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine (14) were synthesized in excellent yields and very pure state. The structures of these compounds were confirmed by elemental and spectral analyses. Most of the synthesized compounds were evaluated as insecticidal agents toward Aphis gossypii insects and promising results obtained. Among all tested compounds, only 6, 7a, 7c and 15c being the most potent compounds against nymphs and adults of Aphis gossypii and their activities are nearly to that of acetamiprid as a reference. The effect of 6a compounds 7a, 7c and 15c on the Aphis digestive system from histological point of view was also included., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

As the first marketed phenylpyrazole insecticide, fipronil exhibited remarkable broad-spectrum insecticidal activity. However, it poses a significant threat to aquatic organisms and bees due to its high toxicity. Herein, 35 phenylpyrazole derivatives containing a trifluoroethylthio group on the 4 position of the pyrazole ring were designed and synthesized. The predicted physicochemical properties of all of the compounds were within a reasonable range. The biological assay results revealed that compound 7 showed 69.7% lethality against Aedes albopictus ( A. albopictus ) at the concentration of 0.125 mg/L. Compounds 7 , 7g , 8d, and 10j showed superior insecticidal activity for the control of Plutella xylostella ( P. xylostella ). Notably, compound 7 showed similar insecticidal activity against Aphis craccivora ( A. craccivora ) compared with fipronil. Potential surface calculation and molecular docking suggested that different lipophilicity and binding models to the Musca domestica ( M. domestica ) gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors may be responsible for the decreased activity of the tested derivatives. Toxicity tests indicated that compound 8d (LC 50 = 14.28 mg/L) induced obviously 14-fold lower toxicity than fipronil (LC 50 = 1.05 mg/L) on embryonic-juvenile zebrafish development.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP450)-catalyzed oxidative coupling is an efficient strategy for using simple building blocks to construct complex structural scaffolds of natural products. Among them, heterodimeric coupling between two different monomers is relatively scarce, and the corresponding CYP450s are largely undiscovered. In this study, we discovered a fungal CYP450 (CpsD) and its associated cps cluster from 37208 CYP450s of Pfam PF00067 family member database and subsequently identified a group of new skeleton indole piperazine alkaloids (campesines A-G) by combination of genome mining and heterologous synthesis. Importantly, CYP450 CpsD mainly catalyzes intermolecular oxidative heterocoupling of two different indole piperazine monomers to generate an unexpected 6/5/6/6/6/6/5/6 eight-ring scaffold through the formation of one C-C bond and two C-N bonds, illuminating its first dimerase role in this family of natural products. The proposed catalytic mechanism of CpsD was deeply investigated by diversified substrate derivatization. Moreover, dimeric campesine G shows good insecticidal activity against the global honeybee pest Galleria mellonella. Our study shows a representative example of discovering new skeleton monomeric and dimeric indole piperazine alkaloids from microbial resources, expands our knowledge of bond formation by CYP450s and supports further development of the newly discovered and engineered campesine family compounds as potential biopesticides., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Insect neuropeptides play an essential role in regulating growth, development, reproduction, nerve conduction, metabolism, and behavior in insects; therefore, G protein-coupled receptors of neuropeptides are considered important targets for designing green insecticides. Cockroach-type allatostatins (ASTs) (FGLamides allatostatins) are important insect neuropeptides in Diploptera punctata that inhibit juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis in the corpora allata and affect growth, development, and reproduction of insects. Therefore, the pursuit of novel insecticides targeting the allatostatin receptor (AstR) holds significant importance. Previously, we identified an AST analogue, H17 , as a promising candidate for pest control. Herein, we first modeled the 3D structure of AstR in D. punctata ( Dippu- AstR) and predicted the binding mode of H17 with Dippu -AstR to study the critical interactions and residues favorable to its bioactivity. Based on this binding mode, we designed and synthesized a series of H17 derivatives and assessed their insecticidal activity against D. punctata . Among them, compound Q6 showed higher insecticidal activity than H17 against D. punctata by inhibiting JH biosynthesis, indicating that Q6 is a potential candidate for a novel insect growth regulator (IGR)-based insecticide. Moreover, Q6 exhibited insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella , indicating that these AST analogs may have a wider insecticidal spectrum. The underlying mechanisms and molecular conformations mediating the interactions of Q6 with Dippu -AstR were explored to understand its effects on the bioactivity. The present work clarifies how a target-based strategy facilitates the discovery of new peptide mimics with better bioactivity, enabling improved IGR-based insecticide potency in sustainable agriculture.

Research on mesoionic structures in pesticide design has gained significant attention in recent years. However, the 1-position of pyridino[1,2- a ]pyrimidine is usually designed with 2-chlorothiazole, 2-chloropyridine, or cyano moieties commonly found in neonicotinoid insecticides. In order to enrich the available pharmacophore library, here, we disclose a series of new pyridino[1,2- a ]pyrimidine mesoionics bearing indole-containing substituents at the 1-position. Most of these target compounds are confirmed to have good insecticidal activity against aphids through bioevaluation. In addition, a three-dimensional structure-activity relationship model is established to allow access to optimal compound F45 with an LC 50 value of 2.97 mg/L. This value is comparable to the property achieved by the positive control triflumezopyrim (LC 50 = 2.94 mg/L). Proteomics and molecular docking analysis suggest that compound F45 has the potential to modulate the functioning of the aphid nervous system through its interaction with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This study expands the existing pharmacophore library for the future development of new mesoionic insecticides based on 1-position modifications of the pyridino[1,2- a ]pyrimidine scaffold.

In keeping with our investigation, a simple and practical synthesis of novel heterocyclic compounds with a sulfamoyl moiety that can be employed as insecticidal agents was reported. The compound 2-hydrazinyl- N -(4-sulfamoylphenyl)-2-thioxoacetamide 1 was coupled smoothly with triethylorthoformate or a variety of halo compounds, namely phenacyl chloride, chloroacetyl chloride, chloroacetaldehyde, chloroacetone, 1,3-dichloropropane, 1,2-dichloroethane, ethyl chloroformate, 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone, and chloroanil respectively, which afforded the 1,3,4-thiadiazole and 1,3,4-thiadiazine derivatives. The new products structure was determined using elemental and spectral analysis. Under laboratory conditions, the biological and toxicological effects of the synthetic compounds were also evaluated as insecticides against Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.). Compounds 3 and 5 had LC 50 values of 6.42 and 6.90 mg/L, respectively. The investigated compounds (from 2 to 11 ) had been undergoing molecular docking investigation for prediction of the optimal arrangement and strength of binding between the ligand (herein, the investigated compounds (from 2 to 11 )) and a receptor (herein, the 2CH5) molecule. The binding affinity within docking score ( S , kcal/mol) ranged between -8.23 (for compound 5 ), -8.12 (for compound 3 ) and -8.03 (for compound 9 ) to -6.01 (for compound 8 ). These compounds were shown to have a variety of binding interactions within the 2CH5 active site, as evidenced by protein-ligand docking configurations. This study gives evidence that those compounds have 2CH5-inhibitory capabilities and hence may be used for 2CH5-targeting development. Furthermore, the three top-ranked compounds ( 5 , 3 , and 9 ) and the standard buprofezin were subjected to density functional theory (DFT) analysis. The highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) energy difference (Δ E ) of compounds 5 , 3 , and 9 was found to be comparable to that of buprofezin. These findings highlighted the potential and relevance of charge transfer at the molecular level.

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) are important green insecticides that disrupt normal growth and development in insects to reduce the harm caused by pests to crops. The ecdysone receptor (EcR) and three chitinases Of ChtI, Of ChtII, and Of Chi-h are closely associated with the molting stage of insects. Thus, they are considered promising targets for the development of novel insecticides such as IGRs. Our previous work identified a dual-target compound 6j , which could act simultaneously on both EcR and Of ChtI. In the present study, 6j was first found to have inhibitory activities against Of ChtII and Of Chi-h, too. Subsequently, taking 6j as a lead compound, 19 novel acetamido derivatives were rationally designed and synthesized by introducing an acetamido moiety into the amide bridge based on the flexibility of the binding cavities of 6j with EcR and three chitinases. Then, their insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella ( P. xylostella ), Ostrinia furnacalis ( O. furnacalis ), and Spodoptera frugiperda ( S. frugiperda ) were carried out. The bioassay results revealed that most of these acetamido derivatives possessed moderate to good larvicidal activities against three lepidopteran pests. Especially, compound I-17 displayed excellent insecticidal activities against P. xylostella (LC 50 , 93.32 mg/L), O. furnacalis (LC 50 , 114.79 mg/L), and S. frugiperda (86.1% mortality at 500 mg/L), significantly better than that of 6j . In addition, further protein validation and molecular docking demonstrated that I-17 could act simultaneously on EcR (17.7% binding activity at 8 mg/L), Of ChtI (69.2% inhibitory rate at 50 μM), Of ChtII (71.5% inhibitory rate at 50 μM), and Of Chi-h (73.9% inhibitory rate at 50 μM), indicating that I-17 is a potential lead candidate for novel multitarget IGRs. This work provides a promising starting point for the development of novel types of IGRs as pest management agents.

Malaria is one of the most known vector-borne diseases caused by female Anopheles mosquito bites. According to WHO, about 247 million cases of malaria and 619,000 deaths were estimated worldwide in 2021, of which 95% of the cases and 96% of deaths occurred in the African region. Sadly, about 80% of all malaria deaths were of children under five years old. Despite the availability of different insecticides used to control this disease, the emergence of drug-resistant mosquitoes threatens public health. This, in turn, highlighted the need for new larvicidal agents that are effective at different larval life stages. This study aimed to identify novel larvicidal agents. To this end, a series of ethyl 2,4,6-trisubstituted-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylates 8a-i was synthesized using a three-step chemical synthetic approach via a Biginelli reaction employed as a key step. All title compounds were screened against Anopheles arabiensis to determine their larvicidal activities. Among them, two derivatives, ethyl 2-((4-bromophenyl)amino)-4-(4-fluorophenyl)-6-methyl-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate 8b and ethyl 2-((4-bromo-2-cyanophenyl)amino)-4-(4-fluorophenyl)-6-methyl-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate 8f , showed the highest larvicidal activity, with mortality of 94% and 91%, respectively, and emerged as potential larvicidal agents. In addition, computational studies, including molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, were carried out to investigate their mechanism of action. The computational results showed that acetylcholinesterase appears to be a plausible molecular target for their larvicidal property.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

A series of arecoline derivatives with amino acid moieties were designed and synthesised using an acylamide condensation strategy, taking arecoline as the foundational structure. The insecticidal efficacy of these compounds against Aphis craccivora and Tetranychus cinnabarinus was evaluated. Notably, derivatives 3h and 3i demonstrated superior insecticidal activity compared with arecoline. Additionally, 3h and 3i showed good fungicidal effectiveness against two types of plant fungi. Moreover, molecular docking analyses suggested that 3h and 3i could affect the nervous systems of A. craccivora and T. cinnabarinus by binding to neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These findings suggest that compounds 3h and 3i represent promising leads for further development in insecticide and fungicide research., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The field of bio-fabricated noble metallic nanoparticles (NPs) has gained significant attention in applied research due to their eco-friendly and biocompatible nature. This study focuses on employing a green synthesis method to produce silver and gold nanoparticles (bio-fabricated) using a Mangrove plant extract and assessing their insecticidal and growth-inhibitory effects for environmentally friendly pest control. The resulting NPs underwent comprehensive characterization through various spectroscopy techniques. The morphology of both silver and gold mediated nanoparticles of Avicennia marina leaf extract displayed a spherical shape, with average sizes measuring around 70-80 nm and 95-100 nm, respectively. Regarding cytotoxicity, the inhibitory effects of silver nanoparticles were less than that observed by the extract alone while gold nanoparticles showed stronger cell growth inhibitory effects on splenic cells. The hepatic toxicity of silver and gold nanoparticles showed significant toxic effects as compared to A. marina extract alone. Notably, as prepared silver nanoparticles exhibited substantial larvicidal toxicity as compared to gold nanoparticles, when tested against fourth instar Culex pipiens larvae. These biocompatible silver and gold nanoparticles prepared from A. marina leaf extract hold promise for future applications as larvicides to effectively control mosquito species.

Bean aphid ( Aphis craccivora ) resistance to commonly used insecticides has made controlling these pests increasingly difficult. In this study, we introduced isoxazole and isoxazoline, which possess insecticidal activity, into pyrido[1,2- a ]pyrimidinone through a scaffold hopping strategy. We designed and synthesized a series of novel mesoionic compounds that exhibited a range of insecticidal activities against A. craccivora . The LC 50 values of compounds E1 and E2 were 0.73 and 0.88 μg/mL, respectively, better than triflumezopyrim (LC 50 = 2.43 μg/mL). Proteomics and molecular docking analyses showed that E1 might influence the A. craccivora nervous system by interacting with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). This research offers a new approach to the advancement of novel mesoionic insecticides.

Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and chitinase play a critical role in the molting stage of insect pests. Each of them is considered a promising target for the development of novel insect growth regulators (IGRs). In the present paper, a total of 24 (23 novel) hexacyclic pyrazolamide derivatives were designed and synthesized by reducing the heptacycle and inserting small flexible linkers on the basis of the previously discovered dual-target compound D-27 acting simultaneously on EcR and Ostrinia furnacalis chitinase ( Of ChtI). Their insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella , Spodoptera frugiperda , and Ostrinia furnacalis larvae were evaluated. The results revealed that the insecticidal activity was not significantly enhanced when the heptacycle on the pyrazole ring was reduced to a hexacycle. However, the insertion of an additional methylene spacer between the substituted phenyl ring and the amide bond can improve the insecticidal activity. Among the derivatives, the most potent compound, 6j , exhibited promising insecticidal activities against P. xylostella and S. frugiperda . Further protein binding assays and molecular docking indicated that 6j could target both EcR and Of ChtI, and is a potential lead compound for IGRs. The present work provides valuable clues for the development of new dual-target IGRs.

The development of novel and safe insecticides remains an important need for a growing world population to protect crops and animal and human health. New chemotypes modulating the insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have been recently brought to the agricultural market, yet with limited understanding of their molecular interactions at their target receptor. Herein, we disclose the first crystal structures of these insecticides, namely, sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, triflumezopyrim, flupyrimin, and the experimental compound, dicloromezotiaz, in a double-mutated acetylcholine-binding protein which mimics the insect-ion-channel orthosteric site. Enabled by these findings, we discovered novel pharmacophores with a related mode of action, and we describe herein their design, synthesis, and biological evaluation.

2,6-dialkylpiperideines found in the venom of Solenopsis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) fire ants are a range of compounds possessing various biological activities. A series of racemic 2-methyl-6-alkyl-Δ 1,6 -piperideines were synthesized for chemical confirmation of the natural products found in fire ant venom, and the evaluation of their biological activity. Synthetic Δ 1,6 -piperideines and the natural compounds in the cis -alkaloid fraction of Solenopsis invicta had identical mass spectra and retention times. Their insecticidal activities against the third-instar larvae of cotton bollworm ( Helicoverpa armigera ) were evaluated by using injection and topical application methods. All three compounds exhibited no lethal effect at concentrations of 0.05-0.4 mol/L by topical treatment, but moderate lethal effect at 0.4 mol/L through injection treatment. Compound 6a showed significantly higher activity than the natural insecticide nicotine. The differences in activity among compounds 6b , 6c and nicotine were not significant. The elongation of the carbon chain at the 6-position of the piperideine ring appears to decrease insecticidal activity.

A series of β-amino alcohols were prepared by the reaction of eugenol epoxide with aliphatic and aromatic amine nucleophiles. The synthesized compounds were fully characterized and evaluated as potential insecticides through the assessment of their biological activity against Sf9 insect cells, compared with a commercial synthetic pesticide (chlorpyrifos, CHPY). Three derivatives bearing a terminal benzene ring, either substituted or unsubstituted, were identified as the most potent molecules, two of them displaying higher toxicity to insect cells than CHPY. In addition, the most promising molecules were able to increase the activity of serine proteases (caspases) pivotal to apoptosis and were more toxic to insect cells than human cells. Structure-based inverted virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that these molecules likely target acetylcholinesterase and/or the insect odorant-binding proteins and are able to form stable complexes with these proteins. Encapsulation assays in liposomes of DMPG and DPPC/DMPG (1:1) were performed for the most active compound, and high encapsulation efficiencies were obtained. A thermosensitive formulation was achieved with the compound release being more efficient at higher temperatures.

To develop new potential pesticide candidates from low value-added natural bioactive products, a series of new cholesterol-matrine conjugates (I(a-e)-IV(a-e)) were prepared from two lead compounds cholesterol and matrine. Against Mythimna separata Walker, compound IVa exhibited 3.0 and 2.6 folds promising insecticidal activity of cholesterol and matrine, respectively; against Aphis citricola Van der Goot, compound IVd showed 4.3 and 2.2 folds potent aphicidal activity of their precursors; notably, it also showed good control effects in the greenhouse; against Plutella xylostella Linnaeus at a dose of 20 μg/nymph, compound IIIe exhibited 2.8 and 2.0 folds oral toxicity of cholesterol and matrine, respectively. Compounds IIIe, IVd and IVe can be used as the leads for further structural optimization as the insecticidal and aphicidal agents., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Referring to the structural information of the "hit" compound A from the reported pharmacophore-based virtual screening, a series of novel thienylpyridyl- and thioether/sulfoxide/sulfone-containing acetamide derivatives have been designed and synthesized. The structures of new compounds were confirmed by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and HRMS. The single-crystal structure of A was firstly reported. All the new synthesized compounds were evaluated for insecticidal activities on Mythimna separata Walker and Plutella xylostella L. Through a step-by-step structural optimization, the high insecticidal agents, especially towards Plutella xylostella L., have been found, and thienylpyridyl- and sulfone/thioether-containing acetamides Iq , Io , Ib and A, which are comparable with the control insecticides cartap, triflumuron and chlorantraniliprole in the present study, can be used as novel lead structures for new insecticides innovation research. In addition, some of the compounds, e.g., A , Ih , Id , Io and Iq , also exhibited favourable fungicidal activities against Physalospora piricola , Rhizoctonia cerealis and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and would provide useful guidance for the design and development of new fungicides.

Infected mosquitoes are significant vectors of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, zika and other pathogens. In the view of increasing resistance in mosquito larvae control, photoactivated insecticides is a promising approach by utilizing highly toxic singlet oxygen produced by photosensitizer through irradiation. However, the choice of photosensitizer for mosquito control is limited. Here, we report a novel series of naphtho[1,8-ef]isoindole-7,8,10(9H)-trione and oxoisoaporphines derivatives as excellent type II photosensitizers. Meanwhile, the light-dependent activities against permethrin-susceptible and permethrin-resistant strain of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae of these compounds were evaluated. Among them, compound 7b was proved to be potential photodynamic insecticide due to its excellent phototoxicity, the LC 50 value was 0.19 μg mL -1 under visible light irradiation. The irradiation-generated enhancement in the activity was more than 520-fold. This compound could be the potential candidate in the search for new photoactivated insecticide leads. Importantly, 7b has good fluorescence quantum yield (ϕ F  = 0.70), it can be used as a fluorescence indicator in mosquito larvae to observe uptake and morphology change., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)