PLoS One 2017 16;12(6):e0179774. Epub 2017 Jun 16.

Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Public Health Services, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel.

West Nile Virus (WNV) is endemic in Israel, affecting yearly 40-160 individuals. Israel is located on a central migratory path between Africa and Eurasia and most West Nile Fever (WNF) cases reported in recent years were among residents of the coastal plain. The aim of the study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of WNV among the Israeli population and to assess correlates for WNV infection. Read More

Molecules 2017 Jun 16;22(6). Epub 2017 Jun 16.

College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Camphor Tree Engineering and Technology Research Center of State Forestry Administration and Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330045, Jiangxi, China.

The development of a novel repellent plays an important role in the integrated control of Blattella germanica. A series of novel hydronopylformamides derivatives were synthesized from a naturally occurring compound (-)-β-pinene. The structures of these hydronopylformamides derivatives were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR and (13)C-NMR), and electron impact mass spectrometry (EI-MS). Read More

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2017 Jun 8;13(1):33. Epub 2017 Jun 8.

Laboratory for Phytobiochemistry and Medicinal Plants Studies, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Background: The combined efforts to combat outdoor/indoor transmission of malaria parasites are hampered by the emerging vector resistance in a wide variety of malaria-endemic settings of Africa and the rest of the world, stressing the need for alternative control measures. This study aimed at documenting insect's repellent plant species used by indigenous populations of 6 localities of East, South, West and Centre regions of Cameroon.

Methods: Information was gathered through face-to-face interviews guided by a semi-structured questionnaire on the knowledge of medicinal plants with insect repellent properties. Read More

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017 Jun 9;66(22):574-578. Epub 2017 Jun 9.

Zika virus infection during pregnancy remains a serious health threat in Puerto Rico. Infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly, brain abnormalities, and other severe birth defects (1). From January 1, 2016 through March 29, 2017, Puerto Rico reported approximately 3,300 pregnant women with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection (2). Read More

Obstet Gynecol Surv 2017 May;72(5):309-318

Associate Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health Sciences, Harvard Medical School; and Chair, Division of Global Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.

Importance: Mosquitoes are the most common disease vectors worldwide. A combination of factors, including changes in public health policy, climate change, and global travel, has led to the resurgence and spread of these diseases in our modern world. Pregnant women are vulnerable to a number of these illnesses, and obstetricians are likely to encounter pregnant travelers who have been exposed. Read More

PeerJ 2017 18;5:e3292. Epub 2017 May 18.

UNIDEF, CITEDEF, CONICET, CIPEIN, Villa Martelli, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

DEET and IR3535 are insect repellents present worldwide in commercial products; their efficacy has been mainly evaluated in mosquitoes. This study compares the toxicological effects and the behavioral responses induced by both repellents on the blood-sucking bug Triatoma infestans Klug (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), one of the main vectors of Chagas disease. When applied topically, the Median Lethal Dose (72 h) for DEET was 220. Read More

Environ Pollut 2017 Aug 28;227:73-82. Epub 2017 Apr 28.

State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China.

Heterogeneous catalytic ozonation provides a promising alternative in the degradation of recalcitrant contaminants. CuxO-Fe3O4 nanoparticles (CuxFeO NPs, both Cu(I) and Cu(II) were contained, about 70 nm) were creatively synthesized using Fe(0) as the precursor and subsequently employed as the ozonation catalyst for dimethyl phthalate (DMP) degradation. Results showed that DMP degradation by O3/CuxFeO was significantly faster than those ozonation catalyzed by CuO, Fe3O4, or mixture of CuO and Fe3O4 (1:1 M ratio), which was ascribed to the unique CuxFeO NPs that composed of abundant structural Cu(I) (≡Cu(I)). Read More

J Insect Sci 2017 Jan;17(1)

Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, 1200 S. Horseshoe Dr, Las Cruces, NM 88003.

The current Zika health crisis in the Americas has created an intense interest in mosquito control methods and products. Mosquito vectors of Zika are of the genus Aedes, mainly the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. L. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2017 Apr 17;10(1):184. Epub 2017 Apr 17.

Department of Applied and Technical Biology, Technical University of Kenya, P.O. Box 52428-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.

Malaria presents an overwhelming public health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where vector favourable conditions and poverty prevail, potentiating the disease burden. Behavioural variability of malaria vectors poses a great challenge to existing vector control programmes with insecticide resistance already acquired to nearly all available chemical compounds. Thus, approaches incorporating plant-derived compounds to manipulate semiochemical-mediated behaviours through disruption of mosquito olfactory sensory system have considerably gained interests to interrupt malaria transmission cycle. Read More

J Med Entomol 2017 Apr 12. Epub 2017 Apr 12.

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, MD ( ; ; ).

Nepeta essential oil (Neo; catnip) and its major component, nepetalactone, have long been known to repel insects including mosquitoes. However, the neural mechanisms through which these repellents are detected by mosquitoes, including the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.), an important vector of Zika virus, were poorly understood. Read More

J Med Entomol 2017 Apr 10. Epub 2017 Apr 10.

Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades, Benjamín Franklin 132, Col. Escandón, C.P. 11800, Mexico City, Mexico

In Mexico, the use of repellents to prevent insects from landing and biting is a common practice. However, variation in the efficiency of natural and synthetic repellents has been observed. In this study, we evaluated the repellency and protection time of 16 synthetic and 13 natural-based commercial products against Aedes aegypti (L. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2017 Oct 8;595:601-614. Epub 2017 Apr 8.

Grupo de Investigación en Estudios Químicos y Biológicos, School of Basic Sciences, Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Cartagena 130010, Colombia.

Personal care products (PCPs) are a diverse group of common household substances used for health, beauty and cleaning purposes. These include disinfectants, fragrances, insect repellents, preservatives and UV filters, among others. Some of them are considered chemicals of emerging concern due to their presence and negative impact on aquatic ecosystems, specially related to endocrine disruption and reproductive disorders. Read More

Genet Mol Res 2017 Apr 5;16(2). Epub 2017 Apr 5.

Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil

Leafminers (Liriomyza sativae) are the main melon (Cucumis melo L.) pests in Northeast Brazil, which is the main region for the production and export of the fruit in Brazil. Of the integrated management strategies available, genetic resistance is the best method of preventing damage by these insects. Read More

Folia Med (Plovdiv) 2017 Mar;59(1):23-30

School of Pharmacy, RK University, Rajkot-Bhavnagar highway, Rajkot, Gujarat 360020.

Background: Ophthalmic formulations of chloramphenicol have poor bioavailability of chloramphenicol in the ocular cavity.

Aim: The present study aimed at exploring the impact of different oil mixtures in the form of emulsion on the permeability of chloramphenicol after ocular application.

Materials And Methods: Selection of oil mixture and ratio of the components was made by an equilibrium solubility method. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2017 Apr 5;10(1):172. Epub 2017 Apr 5.

Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.

Background: Loiasis is a filarial disease caused Loa loa. The main vectors are Chrysops silacea and C. dimidiata which are confined to the tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa. Read More

J Vector Borne Dis 2017 Jan-Mar;54(1):44-53

Medical Entomology Unit, Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Background & Objectives: Many essential oils have been reported as natural sources of insect repellents; however, due to high volatility, they present low repellent effect. Formulation technique by using microencapsulation enables to control the volatility of essential oil and thereby extends the duration of repellency. In this study, the effectiveness of microencapsulated essential oils of Alpinia galanga, Citrus grandis and C. Read More

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2017 May 11;1052:27-33. Epub 2017 Mar 11.

Chongqing Institute of Forensic Science, Chongqing 400021, China. Electronic address:

A rapid, simple and reliable high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of amitraz, chlordimeform, formetanate and their main metabolites, N-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-N-methyl-formamidine (DMPF), 2,4-dimethylformamidine (DMF), 2,4-dimethylaniline (DMA), 4-chloro-2-methylaniline and 3-hydroxyacetanilide in human urine. The urine samples were mixed with buffer solutions (pH 8) and subsequently cleaned up by solid supported liquid/liquid extraction (SLE). The target analytes were efficiently separated with a Waters Atlantis T3 column (150mm×4. Read More

Wilderness Environ Med 2016 Dec 27;27(4):450-457. Epub 2016 Oct 27.

Program in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA. Electronic address:

Discovered in 1947 in a monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda, Zika virus was dismissed as a cause of a mild illness that was confined to Africa and Southeast Asia and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. In 2007, Zika virus appeared outside of its endemic borders in an outbreak on the South Pacific Island of Yap. In 2013, Zika virus was associated with a major neurological complication, Guillain-Barré syndrome, in a larger outbreak in the French Polynesian Islands. Read More

PLoS One 2017 24;12(3):e0172566. Epub 2017 Mar 24.

Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Background: While community distribution of topical repellents has been proposed as an additional malaria control intervention, the safety of this intervention at the population level remains poorly evaluated. We describe the safety of mass distribution of the picaridin repellent during a cluster-randomised trial in rural Cambodia in 2012-2013.

Methods: The repellent was distributed among 57 intervention villages with around 25,000 inhabitants by a team of village distributors. Read More

Chem Senses 2017 May;42(4):333-341

Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, R-189, PO Box 016189, Miami, FL 33101, USA and.

In Culex quinquefasciatus, CquiOR91 is the ortholog of 2 larvae-specific odorant receptors (ORs) from Anopheles gambiae (Agam\Or40, previously shown to respond to several odorant ligands including the broad-spectrum repellent N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, DEET) and Aedes aegypti (Aaeg\Or40). When we cloned full-length CquiOR91 from a Culex quinquefasciatus larval head RNA sample, we found 2 alleles of this OR, differing at 9 residues. Functional analysis using the Xenopus oocyte expression system and 2-electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology revealed one allele (CquiOR91. Read More

Acta Derm Venereol 2017 Jun;97(6):767-768

Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Dermatology and Infectious Diseases, University of Ferrara, Arcispedale , via L. Ariosto 35, IT-44121 Ferrara, Italy.

Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 2017 Apr 7;94(4). Epub 2017 Mar 7.

Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Extracts from Justicia adhatoda L. (Acanthaceae) strongly reduced the fitness of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti Linn. The methanolic extracts inhibited several enzymes responsible for protecting insects from oxidative and other damage, including glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, cytochrome P450, and α- and β-esterases. Read More

J Oleo Sci 2017 Apr 24;66(4):399-405. Epub 2017 Feb 24.

Technical Center of China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co., Ltd.

The contact toxicity and repellent activities of the essential oil extracted from the rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith (Zingiberaceae) was evaluated against cigarette beetles (Lasioderma serricorne). The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation was investigated by GC-FID and GC-MS. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017 Feb 16;14(2). Epub 2017 Feb 16.

Center for Global Health and Translational Science, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an efficient vector for the transmission of Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses, causing major epidemics and a significant social and economic burden throughout the tropics and subtropics. The primary means of preventing these diseases is household-level mosquito control. However, relatively little is known about the economic burden of Ae. Read More

Sci Rep 2017 Feb 16;7:42826. Epub 2017 Feb 16.

Department of Entomology, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Campus da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50.740-465, Brasil.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people travelling to or living in areas with Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks or epidemics adopt prophylactic measures to reduce or eliminate mosquito bites, including the use of insect repellents. It is, however, unknown whether repellents are effective against ZIKV-infected mosquitoes, in part because of the ethical concerns related to exposing a human subject's arm to infected mosquitoes in the standard arm-in-cage assay. We used a previously developed, human subject-free behavioural assay, which mimics a human subject to evaluate the top two recommended insect repellents. Read More

BMC Res Notes 2017 Feb 15;10(1):98. Epub 2017 Feb 15.

Center for Biotechnology Research and Development, Kenya Medical Research Institute, P.O. BOX 54840 - 00200, Mbagathi Rd., Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: The sandfly, Phlebotomus duboscqi is a vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) that is an important public health problem in Eastern Africa. Repellents have been used for protection of humans against vectors of ZCL and other vectors that transmit killer diseases including malaria, Rift Valley fever, dengue, and yellow fever. The repellent effects of different doses of the essential oils from the lemon grass, Cymbopogon citratus and Mexican marigold, Tagetes minuta were evaluated in a two-chamber bioassay against 3- to 7-day-old unfed females of P. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2017 Feb 13;10(1):80. Epub 2017 Feb 13.

Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy.

Background: Synanthropic flies play a considerable role in the transmission of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. In this work, the essential oil (EO) of two aromatic plants, Artemisia annua and Artemisia dracunculus, were evaluated for their abilities to control the blowfly Calliphora vomitoria. Artemisia annua and A. Read More

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2017 Mar 29;50:91-102. Epub 2017 Jan 29.

Department of Human Physiology, Tripura University, Tripura, India.

In recent years, a large number of insect repellents have been developed with the idea of consumer benefits. In addition to already known advantageous application of insect repellents, there is increasing concern about the potential toxicity in environment leading to health caused by random use of these compounds. An increasing number of evidence suggests that insect repellents may trigger undesirable hazardous interactions with biological systems with a potential to generate harmful effects including intermediate metabolites. Read More

J S Afr Vet Assoc 2016 Dec 2;87(1):e1-e5. Epub 2016 Dec 2.

Department of Horticultural Science, Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

Dichloromethane (DCM) extract of garlic (Allium sativum Linn.) bulbs was assessed for its repellent effect against the hard tick, Hyalomma rufipes (Acari: Ixodidae) using two tick behavioural bioassays; Type A and Type B repellency bioassays, under laboratory conditions. These bioassays exploit the questing behaviour of H. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017 Jan 29;14(2). Epub 2017 Jan 29.

Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.

Every year, approximately 700,000 people die from complications associated with etiologic disease agents transmitted by mosquitoes. While insecticide-based vector control strategies are important for the management of mosquito-borne diseases, insecticide-resistance and other logistical hurdles may lower the efficacy of this approach, especially in developing countries. Repellent technologies represent another fundamental aspect of preventing mosquito-borne disease transmission. Read More

Med Oncol 2017 Feb 18;34(2):30. Epub 2017 Jan 18.

Department of Oncology, Radiation Oncology, University of Turin, Via Genova 3, 10126, Turin, Italy.

Acute skin toxicity is a frequent finding during combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy in head and neck cancer patients. Its timely and appropriate management is crucial for both oncological results and patient's global quality of life. We herein report clinical data on the use of Hypericum perforatum and neem oil in the treatment of acute skin toxicity during concurrent chemo-radiation for head and neck cancer. Read More

J Oleo Sci 2017 Feb 18;66(2):133-145. Epub 2017 Jan 18.

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University.

The current study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant efficiency of different extracts of corn silk. In addition, the impact of corn silk extract on oxidative stability of neem biodiesel during storage was studied. The highest phenolics, DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power activities were recorded for methanol-water extract. Read More

Food Chem Toxicol 2017 Mar 12;101:94-104. Epub 2017 Jan 12.

Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Supramolecular Medicinal Material and Applications, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medicinal Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China. Electronic address:

Human beings are inevitably exposed to ubiquitous phthalate esters (PEs) surroundings. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of long-term low-dose exposure to the mixture of six priority controlled phthalate esters (MIXPs): dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), on male rat reproductive system and further to explore the underlying mechanisms of the reproductive toxicity. The male rats were orally exposed to either sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as controls or MIXPs at three different low-doses by gavage for 15 weeks. Read More

J Fam Pract 2016 Nov;65(11):756-757

Louisville, KY, USA.

Control measures include using insect repellents, aerial spraying of insecticides, eliminating mosquito breeding sites, covering water tanks, and using mosquito nets or door and window screens. Infection during pregnancy is the greatest concern because of congenital anomalies (including microcephaly) that negatively affect brain development. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2016 19;2016:5178697. Epub 2016 Dec 19.

Research Center of Bioenergy and Bioremediation, College of Resource and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.

The biodegradation characteristics of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) by three freshwater unicellular organisms were investigated in this study. The findings revealed that all the organisms were capable of metabolizing DMP; among them, Cyanothece sp. PCC7822 achieved the highest degradation efficiency. Read More

Phytochemistry 2017 Apr 3;136:56-64. Epub 2017 Jan 3.

State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, PR China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, Kunming, 650201, PR China. Electronic address:

Plant latex is an endogenous fluid secreted from highly specialized laticifer cells and has been suggested to act as a plant defense system. The chemical profile of the latex of Euphorbia peplus was investigated. A total of 13 terpenoids including two previously unknown diterpenoids, (2S*,3S*,4R*,5R*,6R*,8R*,l1R*,13S*,14S*,15R*, 16R*)-5,8,15-triacetoxy-3-benzoyloxy-11,16-dihydroxy-9-oxopepluane and (2R*,3R*, 4S*,5R*,7S*,8S*,9S*,l3S*,14S*,15R*)-2,5,8,9,14-pentaacetoxy-3-benzoyloxy-15-hydroxy-7-isobutyroyloxyjatropha-6(17),11E-diene), ten known diterpenoids, and a known acyclic triterpene alcohol peplusol, were identified, using HPLC and UPLC-MS/MS analyses and through comparison with the authentic compounds isolated from the whole plant. Read More

Workplace Health Saf 2017 Jan;65(1):48

1 University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The tick-borne disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) can have deadly outcomes unless treated appropriately, yet nonspecific flu-like symptoms complicate diagnosis. Occupational health nurses must have a high index of suspicion with symptomatic workers and recognize that recent recreational or occupational activities with potential tick exposure may suggest RMSF. Read More

Acta Trop 2017 Mar 29;167:216-230. Epub 2016 Dec 29.

Defence Research Laboratory, Tezpur, Assam 784001, India.

Mosquito being the major medically important arthropod vector; requires utmost attention to reduce the sufferings and economic consequences of those living in the endemic regions. This is only possible by minimising the human-mosquito contact by an absolute preventing measure. However, unfortunately, such absolute measures are yet to be developed despite enormous efforts and huge investments worldwide. Read More

J Arthropod Borne Dis 2016 Dec 4;10(4):429-444. Epub 2016 Oct 4.

Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Leishmaniasis has long been known as a significant public health challenge in many parts of Iran. Phlebotomus papatasi and P. sergenti are the vectors of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Anthroponotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis respectively, and 5 species of sand flies including P. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016 Dec 27;10(12):e0005248. Epub 2016 Dec 27.

CIRAD, UMR CMAEE, F-34398 Montpellier, France.

Background: African animal trypanosomosis (AAT), transmitted by tsetse flies and tick-borne diseases are the main constraints to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. Vector control methods such as pour-on offer individual protection against ticks but not against tsetse so far, for which protection has always been communal, through a reduction of their density. The latter requires the treatment of a large part of the herd in a given landscape and is not instantaneous. Read More

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2017 Feb 23;316:48-62. Epub 2016 Dec 23.

Division of Neuroscience, Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Box 100416, JHMHC, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. Electronic address:

Exposure to DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) may have influenced the pattern of symptoms observed in soldiers with GWI (Gulf War Illness; Haley and Kurt, 1997). We examined how the addition of DEET (400mg/kg; 50% topical) to an exposure protocol of permethrin (2.6mg/kg; topical), chlorpyrifos (CP; 120mg/kg), and pyridostigmine bromide (PB;13mg/kg) altered the emergence and pattern of pain signs in an animal model of GWI pain (Nutter et al. Read More

Parasitol Res 2017 Feb 24;116(2):821-825. Epub 2016 Dec 24.

Vector Control Research Centre (ICMR), Indira Nagar, Pondicherry, 605006, India.

Essential oils from fresh leaves of four aromatic plants viz., Ocimum sanctum, Mentha piperita, Eucalyptus globulus and Plectranthus amboinicus were extracted by hydrodistillation. The test solutions were prepared as 20% essential oil in ethanol and positive control as 20% DEET in ethanol. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2017 Apr 22;138:78-82. Epub 2016 Dec 22.

Department of Entomology and Acarology - Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" - ESALQ, Av. Pádua Dias, n. 11 - Cx. P. 9, 13400-970, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.

We evaluated the selectivity of three plant extracts with potential insecticidal effects for the parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, which is commonly used in biological pest control. The plant extracts assayed were an acetone extract of Toona ciliata M. Roem. Read More

Food Chem Toxicol 2017 Feb 19;100:217-224. Epub 2016 Dec 19.

Nihon Pharmaceutical University, Komuro 10281, Ina-machi, Kitaadachi-gun, Saitama 362-0806, Japan. Electronic address:

Phthalates are used in food packaging, and are transferred to foods as contaminants. In this study, we examined the hydrolytic metabolism of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) by rat tissue microsomes. We found that carboxylesterase and lipase contribute differently to these activities. Read More

Public Health Res Pract 2016 Dec 14;26(5). Epub 2016 Dec 14.

Health Risk Policy Unit, Health Protection NSW, NSW Health, Sydney, Australia.

Mosquito-borne disease is an annual problem in Australia, with endemic pathogens such as Ross River virus infecting thousands of people each year. The recent emergence of Zika virus in South America and the Pacific, together with ongoing outbreaks of dengue viruses in Southeast Asia, generated great community interest in the most effective strategies to avoid mosquito bites. Large-scale mosquito control programs are not common in Australia and are limited in New South Wales (NSW). Read More

Environ Sci Technol 2016 Dec 8;50(24):13265-13273. Epub 2016 Dec 8.

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.

Photoactivation of aqueous chlorine could promote degradation of chlorine-resistant and photochemically stable chemicals accumulated in swimming pools. This study investigated the degradation of two such chemicals, N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) and caffeine, by low pressure ultraviolet (UV) light and simulated sunlight (SS) activated free chlorine (FC) in different water matrices. Both DEET and caffeine were rapidly degraded by UV/FC and SS/FC but exhibited different kinetic behaviors. Read More

Acta Histochem 2017 Jan 6;119(1):84-91. Epub 2016 Dec 6.

Laboratory of Insects, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Electronic address:

Cytomorphological changes, by means of ultrastructural analyses, have been used to determine the effects of the biopesticide neem oil on the muscle fibers of the midgut of the predator Ceraeochrysa claveri. Insects, throughout the larval period, were fed eggs of Diatraea saccharalis treated with neem oil at a concentration of 0.5%, 1% or 2%. Read More

Curr Biol 2017 Jan 1;27(1):55-61. Epub 2016 Dec 1.

State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address:

The sesquiterpene (E)-β-farnesene (EBF) is the alarm pheromone for many species of aphids [1]. When released from aphids attacked by parasitoids or predators, it alerts nearby conspecifics to escape by walking away and dropping off the host plant [2, 3]. The reception of alarm pheromone in aphids is accomplished through a highly sensitive chemosensory system. Read More

Pestic Biochem Physiol 2016 Nov 10;134:84-93. Epub 2016 Apr 10.

Department of Botany and Microbiology, Addiriyah Chair for Environmental Studies, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.

Plumbagin was isolated and characterized from the roots of Plumbago zeylanica using chromatography: TLC, Column chromatogram, HPLC, FTIR and (1)H NMR. The isolated pure compounds were assayed for potency as inhibitors of: acetylcholine esterase (AchE), glutathione S-transferases (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), cytochrome P450 and α, β-esterase, and for repellency with Anopheles stephensi at four different concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100ppm). The enzyme assay against the pure compound reveals that the level of esterase and SOD was decreased significantly in contrast the level of GST and cytochrome P450 was increased significantly. Read More

Res Vet Sci 2016 Dec 9;109:1-9. Epub 2016 Sep 9.

Insect Behaviour Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address:

Ticks transmit at least the same number or even more pathogens than any other group of blood-feeding arthropods worldwide affecting humans and animals. The eco-friendly control and management of tick vectors in a constantly changing environment is a crucial challenge. Besides the development of vaccines against ticks, IPM practices aimed at reducing tick interactions with livestock, emerging pheromone-based control tools, and few biological control agents, the extensive employment of acaricides and tick repellents still remain the most effective and ready-to-use strategies. Read More