Tetronic acid and tetramic acid derived pesticides and their toxicity: a review

Abstract

Pesticides are a group of chemicals that have brought a remarkable change in agricultural deeds by refining quality and production of crops, but their toxic behavior towards organisms has always been a major worry. From past few years,
global attention has increased many times in this context and several new insecticides have been introduced by different agencies to combat this issue. The damage caused by pests is always in focus so that new pesticides with improved action can be formed with least toxicity. Tetronic and Tetramic acid derived pesticides have arisen as new pesticides with a flexible mode of action by acting as acaricides, there by obstructing acetyl CoA carboxylase in lipid biosynthesis. These insecticides include tetronic acid derivatives like Spiromesifen, Spirodiclofen and tetramic acid derivatives like Spirotetramat and Spiropidion. Although these pesticides have arisen a new hope to deal with pests like whiteflies and mites but their toxic nature can’t be ignored. So in this review we would like to highlight the main toxic targets of these newly introduced pesticides so as awareness can be generated for rational use of pesticides.