INSECT ANTIFEEDANT SALANNIN, A MODEL FOR A NEW COMMERCIAL INSECT CONTROL AGENT

SALANNIN (C34H4O9) IS A PLANT TETRANORTRITERPENOID OCCURRINGIN TWO SPECIES IN THE MELIACEAE, AZADIRACHTA INDICA A. JUSS.(NEEM) AND MELIA DUBIA CAV. SALANNIN HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE AN ANTIFEEDANT (FEEDING INHIBITOR) AGAINST SEVERAL SPECIES OF INSECT PEST, INCLUDING DIPTERANS (FLIES), LEPIDOPTERANS (CATERPILLARS), AND COLEOPTERANS (BEETLES). WE PLAN TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF MODELING A NEW CHEMICAL INSECT CONTROL AGENT FROM SALANNIN. THERE IS A NEED FOR NEWCHEMICALS, ESPECIALLY BIORATIONAL CHEMICALS SUCH AS ANTIFEEDANTS, WHICH ARE EFFICACIOUS IN INSECT CONTROL, BUT WHICH ARE ALSO SAFE TO USE IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND WHICH ARE AMENABLE FOR USE IN INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL. NPI WILL QUANTITATE SALANNIN IN NEEM SEEDS OBTAINED FROM VARIOUS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS AND WE WILL ISOLATE (GRAM-SCALE) IT FROM THE RICHEST NEEM SEED SOURCE. DERIVATIVES WILL BE MADE OF THE ISOLATED SALANNIN AND TESTEDFOR ANTIFEEDANT ACTIVITY AGAINST LEPTINOTARSA DECEMLINEATA (SAY) (COLORADO POTATO BEETLE), HELIOTHIS VIRESCENS (FABR.) (TOBACCO BUDWORM), AND SCHIZAPHIS GRAMINUM (RODANI) (GREEMBUG) AND FOR SYSTEMIC ACTIVITY IN PLANTS. THE RESULT WILL GUIDE SYNTHETIC, FORMULATION, AND GREENHOUSE STUDIES IN PHASE II.