• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2010

BT toxin is produced by a soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis and has long been used as a biological insecticide without any competition. Recently, Photorhabdus, a symbiotic bacterium from entomopathogenic nematodes, family Heterorhabditae, has been researched and discussed as alternatives to B. thuringiensis. Photorhabdus, which lives in the gut of entomopathogenic nematodes, is a highly virulent pathogen of a wide range of insect larvae. When an insect is infected by the nematodes, the bacteria are released into the cadaver, and produce a number of insecticidal toxins. The biological role of the different Photorhabdus toxins in the infection process is still unclear. Photorhabdus toxin complex (Tc) is highly secreted gut-active toxin and has been characterized as a potent three-component (A, B and C) insecticidal protein complex. These components are necessary for full oral activity against insect larvae. The Photorhabdus PirAB binary toxins exhibit a potent injectable activity for Galleria mellonella larvae, and have oral toxicity against mosquitoes and caterpillar pest Plutella xylostella. Other toxin, 'makes caterpillars floppy' (Mcf) showed injectable activity on caterpillars. Recombinant Mcf triggers apoptosis in both insect hemocytes and the midgut epithelium and carries a BH3 domain. In this review, the relationship between the Photorhabdus and the nematode is discussed and recent important insecticidal toxins from Photorhabdus are described.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.137-149
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• 2015

In the search for novel potent fungi-derived bioactive compounds for bioinsecticide applications, crude ethyl acetate culture filtrate extracts from 110 mangrove fungal endophytes were screened for their toxicity. Toxicity tests of all extracts against brine shrimp (Artemia salina) larvae were performed. The extracts with the highest toxicity were further examined for insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura larvae and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition activity. The results showed that the extracts of five isolates exhibited the highest toxicity to brine shrimp at 50% lethal concentration ($LC_{50}$) values of 7.45 to 10.24 ppm. These five fungal isolates that obtained from Rhizophora mucronata were identified based on sequence data analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA as Aspergillus oryzae (strain BPPTCC 6036), Emericella nidulans (strains BPPTCC 6035 and BPPTCC 6038), A. tamarii (strain BPPTCC 6037), and A. versicolor (strain BPPTCC 6039). The mean percentage of S. litura larval mortality following topical application of the five extracts ranged from 16.7% to 43.3%. In the AChE inhibition assay, the inhibition rates of the five extracts ranged from 40.7% to 48.9%, while eserine (positive control) had an inhibition rate of 96.8%, at a concentration of 100 ppm. The extracts used were crude extracts, so their potential as sources of AChE inhibition compounds makes them likely candidates as neurotoxins. The high-performance liquid chromatography profiles of the five extracts differed, indicating variations in their chemical constituents. This study highlights the potential of culture filtrate ethyl acetate extracts of mangrove fungal endophytes as a source of new potential bioactive compounds for bioinsecticide applications.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2017

Susceptibility and persistence of Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus adults, and acute contact toxicity, foliage contact toxicity, and residual toxicity to honeybee, Apis mellifera were evaluated by using 5 kinds of neonicotinoid pesticides. All neonicotinoids pesticides showed over 80% mortality 48 hour after body spray treatment. However, only 2 kinds of acetamiprid ME and acetamiprid+buprofezin showed over 80% mortality in the twig dipping treatment. All of the five neonicotinoides pesticides used in M. alternatus adults showed residual effect of 60-80% mortality, but the efficacy decreased rapidly after 1 day of treatment. Acetamiprid ME showed the lowest toxicity in the acute and foliage contact toxicity test of A. mellifera. The residual toxicity of leaves on A. mellifera was very low in acetamiprid ME and acetamiprid+buprofezin. However, the residual toxicity of all pesticides treatments decreased to 10-30% after 1 day of treatment and further decreased with time. These results indicate that acetamiprid ME among five neonicotinoid agents showed a high insecticidal activity in the M. alternatus adults, while it exhibited relatively low contact and residual toxicity in the A. mellifera. It is thought that acetamiprid ME can be effectively used for the control of the M. alternatus adults as vector of pine wilt disease.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2009

KNI3126 which is the eco-friendly material made by plant extracts - neem and matrine - have been evaluated for efficacies against 6 main pests and toxicity on natural enemies. Insecticidal efficacies of KNI3126 against plant hopper were above 95% at 5 days after treatment (DAT), whereas pesticidal effects against the cotton aphid were above 95% at 3 DAT and slightly decreased at 5 DAT. Insecticidal efficacy against the palm thrips resulted in lower control value as 68.1% than that of chemical insecticides. KNI3126 showed more than 95% control value against diamond back moth, suggesting that it could suppress the population of pest hard to control as eco-friendly material. Mortalities against two-spotted spider mite were about 80% at 1 DAT and over 90% at 5 DAT, respectively. For evaluation of the toxicity on natural enemies, effect against predatory natural enemy was classified as moderate selective toxicity based on the criterion of International Organization of Bio-Control (IOBC), whereas against parasitic natural enemies was found to be relatively safe. Repellent effect was weak against plant hopper, but strong against two-spotted spider mite. In the toxicity test for safety, KNI3126 was classified as the lowest level at acute oral, acute dermal and fish toxicity test and did not induce the irritancy at skin irritation test and eye irritation test.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1774-1780
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• 2016

Vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vips) are insecticidal proteins synthesized by Bacillus thuringiensis during the vegetative stage of growth. In this study, Vip3Aa protein, obtained by in vitro expression of the vip3Aa gene from B. thuringiensis WB5, displayed high insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura aside from Spodoptera exigua and Helicoverpa armigera. Bioassay results showed that the toxicity of Vip3Aa protein against S. litura larvae statistically decreased along with the increase of the age of the larvae, with LC₅₀ = 2.609 ng/cm² for neonatal larvae, LC₅₀ = 28.778 ng/cm² for first instar larvae, LC₅₀ = 70.460 ng/cm² for second instar larvae, and LC₅₀ = 200.627 ng/cm² for third instar larvae. The accumulative mortality of 100% larvae appeared at 72 h for all instars of S. litura larvae, when feeding respectively with 83.22, 213.04, 341.40, and 613.20 ng/cm² of Vip3Aa toxin to the neonatal and first to third instar larvae. The histopathological effects of Vip3Aa toxin on the midgut epithelial cells of S. litura larvae was also investigated. The TEM observations showed wide damage of the epithelial cell in the midgut of S. litura larvae fed with Vip3Aa toxin.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2009

Crude saponin, extracted from the starfish Asterias amurensis, was assessed for its capacity as a biological pesticide. As part of this analysis, its insecticidal and repellent activities, in addition to its acute and chronic toxicities were tested. In comparison with the control group, insecticidal activity of saponin against tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura, in kale, Brassica loeracea was low at 36.4%. Repellent activities of the extracted saponin against green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, and S. litura, on soybean leaf, Glycine max and kale were 65.6% and 35.0% at $1^{st}$ day, and 54.5% and 30.0% at $3^{rd}$ day, respectively. Acute and chronic toxicity analysis was carried out using acute immobilizatioin test and reproduction impairment test, respectively. The saponin had 48 h-$EC_{50}$ of $65.21{\mu}g/mL$. Twenty-one day accumulative reproduction after treatment was lower in Daphnia magna at $7{\mu}g/mL$ saponin (78 youngs), compared with the control group (129 youngs). These results indicate that the extracted saponin exhibited some toxicity and has potential as a repellent against insects.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.177-185
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• 2014

Aspiring to the new raw materials of insecticides is one of the plant extracts. The material structure of a variety of plant extracts have because the material to the defense of the plant itself, the case of insecticides, using plant extracts, safe, has low toxicity and has the advantage of highly distinctive and fall. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara L.) is belonging to the family Compositae, and distributed in all parts of China as medicinal plants and indigenous plants used. Coltsfoot is known that it is effect to respiratory disease and has an antiviral effect. However, the reported insecticidal activity of coltsfoot could be not found. Fortunately, I found insecticidal activities when I was screening the bioassay against several insects with a lot of plant extracts. Using the ethanol extract of the Tussilago farfara, there were insecticidal activities against Culex pipiens pallens and Tetranychus urticae. There were several fractions in ethanol extract of coltsfoot by using various organic solvents. Hexane fraction showed a higher insecticidal activity than any other fraction. It is confirmed that hexane fraction contained pyrethrin by using HPLC analysis. So, it might be suggested that extract of coltsfoot has an insecticidal activity and its effect due to a ingredient of pyrethrin.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2012

Nineteen registered insecticides including 8 mixed formulations with buprofezin and 11 single formulations which is not including buprofezin were evaluated by spray application for their toxicity against adult and nymph of citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri. Five mixed formulations with buprofezin such as buprofezin 15EC+acetamiprid 4EC, buprofezin 10SC+clothianidin 3SC, buprofezin 20WP+dinotefuran 15WP, buprofezin 20SC+thiacloprid 5SC, and buprofezin 20SC+thiamethoxam 3.3SC showed high insecticidal activity (>93%) against nymph and adult of P. citri. Insecticidal activities of EPN 45EC, fenitrothion 50EC and methidathion 40EC in organophosphorous group showed 90 to 93% against nymph only. In addition to, insecticidal activities of acetamiprid 8WP, clothianidin 8SC, dinotefuran 20WG and thiamethoxam 10WG in neonicotinoids group showed above 90% against nymph only. In systemic and residual effect, five mixed formulations that was already proved to have high insecticidal activity showed low toxicity with below 60% against $3^{rd}$ instar nymph of P. citri in tomato and rose under greenhouse. Control efficacy of five mixed formulations with buprofezin was above 90%, 80% and 70% at 5 days after treatment (DAT), 10 DAT and 15 DAT, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.1057-1062
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• 2004

The entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is the most widely used biopesticide. Insecticidal proteins, coded by genes located in plasmids, form typical parasporal, crystalline inclusions during sporulation. We isolated a Bacillus thuringiensis strain having insecticidal activity against larvae of the house fly (M. domestica) from the soils at a pig farm in Korea, and named it Bacillus thuringiensis SM. The culture filtrate from Bacillus thuringiensis SM showed strong lethality (83.3%) against M. domestica larvae. The parasporal crystal is enclosed within the spores' outermost envelope, as determined by transmission electron microscopy, and exhibited a bipyramidal form. The crystal proteins of strain SM consisted of five proteins with molecular weights of approximately ~130, ~80, ~68, ~42, and ~27 kDa on a 10% SDS-PAGE (major band, a size characteristic of Cry protein). Examination of antibiotic resistance revealed that the strain SM showed multiple resistant. The strain SM had at least three different plasmids with sizes of 6.6, 9.3, and 54 kb. Polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) revealed the presence of cry1, cry4A2, and cry11A1 genes in the strain SM. The cry1 gene profile of the strain SM appeared in the three respective products of 487 bp [cry1A(c)], 414 bp [cry1D], and 238 bp [cry1A(b)]. However, the strain SM has not shown the cry4A2 md cry11A1 genes. In in vivo toxicity assays, the strain SM showed high toxicity on fly larvae (M. domestic) [with $LC_{50}$ of 4.2 mg/ml, $LC_{90}$ of 8.2 mg/ml].

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.27-33
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• 2000

N-Dimethoxyphosphinothionyl carbofuran, PSC, has a high insecticidal activity and low mammalian toxicity. Ten N-phosphinothionyl carbofuran derivatives were synthesized and their insecticidal activities were determined against brown plant hopper (Nilaparvata lugens), green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), and two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). Green peach aphid, diamondback mea and brown plant hopper were controlled over 90% by application of 125 ppm, 125 ppm, and 63 ppm, respectively, of carbosulfan. Two hundred and fifty ppm of newly synthesized compounds could control most of brown plant hopper and diamondback moth. Especially, insecticidal activities of compound 10 against brown plant hopper, diamondback moth, and green peach aphid were similar to those of carbosulfan. Our results show that the newly synthesized derivatives of NV-phosphinothionyl carbofuran have a similar insecticidal activity to carbosulfan.