Abstract
Rotenone and its thirty-four derivatives including seventeen new compounds have been examined for their insecticidal toxicities, enzymic inhibition and nervous toxicities, using the azuki bean weevil, the thoracic muscle mitochondria of the horned beetle and the nerve cord of the American cockroach, respectively.
A close correlation existed between in vitro inhibition of glutamic dehydrogenase system, block of nerve conduction and insecticidal activity.
The relation of the chemical structures of rotenone derivatives to their toxicities was discussed. Though it has been reported that the effectiveness of rotenoides is due to the presence of chromano-chromanone ring in the molecule, the present results show that chromano-chromanol ring is also as important.
Trans-configuration at the position 7 and 8 was more toxic than cis-configuration there.
