ABSTRACT: The demand for effective insecticides in pest control with low toxicity to the non-target organisms, such as natural enemies and pollinators, is increasing steadily. A good alternative for synthetic insecticides is natural compounds, including essential oils (EO). This work assessed toxicity of essential oils extracted from Artemisia annua, A. absinthium, A. camphorata, A. dracunculus and A. vulgaris against the melonworm Diaphania hyalinata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) larvae, a pest of Cucurbitaceae, and their selectivity for fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and jataí bee Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille) (Meliponinae). The plants were grown in a greenhouse with mineral fertilization and were used for EO extraction. The insects in the bioassay belonged to the second instar of D. hyalinata and adult forms of S. saevissima and T. angustula. Essential oil from A. annua induced a high mortality rate in D. hyalinata (96 %) over a 48 h period. The same essential oil was selective for predator S. saevissima (42 % mortality) and pollinator T. angustula (74 % mortality), while causing high mortality in D. hyalinata. The insecticidal activity of A. annua oil was attributed to the synergism of its constituents viz., camphor and 1,8-cineole. Therefore, this essential oil contains constituents that are promising for effective use as insecticide due to its high toxicity and rapid action against D. hyalinata as well as low toxicity for predator and pollinator.

The demand for new insecticides is increasing due to the appearance of insect populations that are resistant to currently used products. New insecticides should be efficient in controlling pests and present low toxicity to non-target organisms. Ascia monuste (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) is a destructive pest of cole vegetables, and the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is an important predator of these caterpillars in brassica crops. Tetragonisca angustula (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is very important in pollinating many plants and providing honey. Therefore, this study evaluated the toxicity of synthetic amides to A. monuste and its selectivity in favor of S. saevissima and T. angustula. The amides (2E,4E)-N-propylhexa-2,4-dienamide (3) and (2E, 4E)-N-butylhexa-2,4-dienamide (4) caused high (96 and 93%, respectively) and fast (48 h) mortality of A. monuste. The amides 3 and 4 were not harmful to the predator (mortality of 5.7% for amide 3 and 7.14% for amide 4) and were slightly harmful to the pollinator (mortality of 38.57% for amide 3 and 28.12% for amide 4). The amides 3 and 4 are promising, as insecticides, due to the high and rapid mortality of A. monuste with low and moderate toxicity to S. saevissima and T. angustula, respectively.

A avicultura intensiva tem se expandido bastante nos últimos anos no Brasil e, com isso, gerado grandes quantidades de cama de aviário. Esses materiais contêm quantidades substanciais de fósforo (P) - nutriente altamente limitante ao crescimento de plantas nos solos mais intemperizados, mas que pode causar impactos ambientais negativos se inadequadamente manejado. A fim de melhor subsidiar o uso mais sustentável desses materiais orgânicos, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as formas e as transformações de P de camas de aviário obtidas com cinco diferentes materiais de forração do piso: casca de café, maravalha, casca de arroz, sabugo de milho triturado e capim-napier triturado. As camas de aviário foram incubadas por 43 dias, e as mudanças nas frações de P foram avaliadas por meio de espectroscopia de 31P RMN. Na média das cinco camas de aviário, 19,8 % do P total nos extratos encontrava-se na forma orgânica e 48 % do P dos compostos orgânicos foi mineralizado durante os 43 dias de incubação. Foi observada grande variação na mineralização desse nutriente entre as camas de aviário, de 4 % na cama de capim-napier até 82 % na cama de maravalha. Com exceção da cama de casca de café, os fostatos diéster foram quase totalmente mineralizados em todas as demais camas de aviário durante o período de incubação. O ortofofato inorgânico (99,9 %) e o pirofosfato (0,1 %) foram as únicas formas de P inorgânico detectadas, enquanto o P orgânico era composto por monoéster fosfatos (76,3 %) e diéster fosfatos (23,7 %). A contribuição do pirofosfato, menor que 0,5 %, permaneceu inalterada durante o período de incubação. A cama de maravalha apresentou a maior proporção de P na forma orgânica (40 %) e maior relação P diéster:P monoéster, resultando em rápida mineralização nos primeiros 15 dias de incubação, com estabilização a partir de 29 dias. Quando as camas de aviário foram incubadas com solo (Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo), foram observados, na mineralização, distintos comportamentos entre elas. O decréscimo da fração de P em compostos orgânicos (Po) aplicados ao solo seguiu a ordem: casca de café (45 %) > sabugo de milho (25 %) > casca de arroz (13 %) ≈ capim-napier (12 %) > maravalha (5 %). Ao longo do período de incubação, foram observados incrementos no P inorgânico (Pi). A incubação da cama de casca de arroz com o solo reduziu a taxa de mineralização do seu Po. Portanto, a aplicação de cama de aviário em solos argilosos mais intemperizados pode ser uma alternativa segura de disposição e ciclagem das camas de aviário. No entanto, aplicações repetidas de doses elevadas de camas de aviário devem ser monitoradas para avaliar o risco de eutroficação de corpos de água devido ao P.

Large quantities of poultry litter are being produced in Brazil, which contain appreciable amounts of phosphorus (P) that could be of environmental concern. To assess the immediate environmental threat, five poultry litters composed of diverse bedding material were incubated for 43 days under greenhouse conditions. The litters consisted of: coffee bean husk (CH); wood chips (WC); rice husk (RH); ground corn cobs (CC) and ground napier grass (NG) (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.), in which the change in forms of soluble P was evaluated using 31P NMR spectroscopy. On average, 80.2 and 19.8 % of the total P in the extract, respectively, accounted for the inorganic and organic forms before incubation and 48 % of the organic P was mineralized to inorganic P in 43 days of incubation. Wide variation in the organic P mineralization rate (from 82 % -WC to 4 % - NG) was observed among litters. Inorganic orthophosphate (99.9 %) and pyrophosphate (0.1 %) were the only inorganic P forms, whereas the organic P forms orthophosphate monoesters (76.3 %) and diester (23.7 %) were detected. Diester P compounds were mineralized almost completely in all litters, except in the CH litter, within the incubation period. Pyrophosphates contributed with less than 0.5% and remained unaltered during the incubation period. Wood-chip litter had a higher organic P (40 %) content and a higher diester: monoester ratio; it was therefore mineralized rapidly, within the first 15 days, achieving steady state by the 29th day. Distinct mineralization patterns were observed in the litter when incubated with a clayey Oxisol. The substantial decrease observed in the organic P fraction (Po) of the litter types followed the order: CH (45 %) > CC (25 %) > RH (13 %) ≈ NG (12 %) > WC (5 %), whereas the Pi fraction increased. Incubation of RH litter in soil slowed down the mineralization of organic P.

A HIGH YIELD SYNTHESIS OF 1,2:5,6-DI-O-ISOPROPYLIDENE-D-MANNITOL: A great improvement in the synthesis of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-D-mannitol (2) using D-mannitol (1) as starting material, is described. The acetalation of (1) was performed in acetone in the presence of zinc chloride as catalyst to give (2) in 87% yield. Some studies on the acetal stability were carried out to explain the high yields. High field NMR spectra were obtained and assignment of all signals was accomplished with the aid of double irradiation, difference NOE and HETCOR spectra

Thin layer chromatography is a quick, inexpensive and effective way of screening mixtures of non-volatile organic compounds and it is highly recommended for analytical studies. Inspection of plates under ultraviolet light for the detection of colourless compounds should be performed before any further chemical methods are applied. Construction of a low-cost UV-viewing cabinet with lamp employing parts easily found on the local market is described.

A reação de cicloadição [3+4] entre diferentes dienos (ciclopentadieno, 2-metilfurano e furano) e halocetonas levou aos cicloadutos correspondentes, cuja reação de ozonólise forneceu os ozonídeos 3alfa,5alfa-Dimetil-8,9,10-trioxatriciclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-ona (6), 2,3alfa,5alfa-Trimetil-8,9,10,11-tetraoxatriciclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-ona (9), 2,3beta,5beta-Trimetil-8,9,10,11-tetraoxatriciclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-ona (10, isômero exo), 2,3beta,5beta-Trimetil-8,9,10,11-tetraoxatriciclo [5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-ona (11, isômero endo), 3alfa-Isopropil-8,9,10,11-tetraoxatriciclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-ona (14). A atividade antimalárica dos ozonídeos foi avaliada em testes "in vitro" contra cepas de Plasmodium falciparum, oriundos da Tailândia.

Abstract: The [3+4] cycloaddition reaction between different dienes (cyclopentadiene, 2-methylfurane and furane) and haloketones formed their corresponding cycloadducts. Ozonolysis of the cycloadducts yielded the ozonides 3alpha ,5alpha -dimethyl-8,9,10-trioxatricyclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-one (6), 2,3alpha ,5alpha -trimethyl-8,9,10,11-tetraoxatricyclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-one (9), 2,3beta ,5beta -trimethyl-8,9,10,11-tetraoxatricyclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-one (10, exo isomer), 2,3beta ,5beta -trimethyl-8,9,10,11-tetraoxatricyclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-one (11, endo isomer), 3alpha -isopropyl-8,9,10,11-tetraoxatricyclo[5.2.1.1(2,6)]undecan-4-one (14). The antimalaria activity of the ozonides was evaluated "in vitro" against strain of Plasmodium falciparum, from Thailand.

Ácido orselínico é benzilado e 4-benziloxi-2-hidroxi-6-metilbenzoato de benzila (7) é então convertido no composto desejado (2), o qual é o constituinte aromático de calicheamicin gama1I.

Orsellinic acid (6) was benzylated, and the benzyl 4-benzyloxy-2-hydroxy-6-methylbenzoate (7) was then elaborated into the title compound (2), which is the aromatic constituent of calicheamicin gamma1I.