Names | |
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IUPAC name (5′′R)-4′,5′-Dimethoxy-5′′-(prop-1-en-2-yl)-4′′,5′′-dihydrofuro[2′′,3′′:7,8]rotenan-4-one | |
Systematic IUPAC name (2R,6aS,12aS)-8,9-Dimethoxy-2-(prop-1-en-2-yl)-1,2,12,12a-tetrahydro[1]benzopyrano[3,4-b]furo[2,3-h][1]benzopyran-6(6aH)-one | |
Other names Tubatoxin, Paraderil | |
Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.001.365 |
KEGG | |
MeSH | Rotenone |
PubChem CID | |
UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
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Properties | |
C23H22O6 | |
Molar mass | 394.423 g·mol−1 |
Appearance | Colorless to red crystalline solid [1] |
Odor | odorless [1] |
Density | 1.27 g/cm3 @ 20 °C |
Melting point | 165 to 166 °C (329 to 331 °F; 438 to 439 K) |
Boiling point | 210 to 220 °C (410 to 428 °F; 483 to 493 K) at 0.5 mmHg |
Solubility | Soluble in ether and acetone, slightly soluble in ethanol |
Vapor pressure | <0.00004 mmHg (20°C) [1] |
Hazards | |
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose) | 60 mg/kg (oral, rat) 132 mg/kg (oral, rat) 25 mg/kg (oral, rat) 2.8 mg/kg (oral, mouse) [2] |
NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |
PEL (Permissible) | TWA 5 mg/m3 [1] |
REL (Recommended) | TWA 5 mg/m3 [1] |
IDLH (Immediate danger) | 2500 mg/m3 [1] |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). |
Rotenone is an odorless, colorless, crystalline isoflavone. It occurs naturally in the seeds and stems of several plants, such as the jicama vine, and in the roots of several other members of the Fabaceae. It was the first-described member of the family of chemical compounds known as rotenoids. Rotenone is approved for use as a piscicide to remove alien fish species, [3] see Uses. It has also been used as a broad-spectrum insecticide, but its use as an insecticide has been banned in many countries.
The earliest written record of the now-known rotenone-containing plants used for killing leaf-eating caterpillars was in 1848; for centuries, these same plants had been used to poison fish. [4] The active chemical component was first isolated in 1895 by a French botanist, Emmanuel Geoffroy, who called it nicouline, from a specimen of Robinia nicou, now called Deguelia utilis , while traveling in French Guiana. [5] He wrote about this research in his thesis, published in 1895 after his death from a parasitic disease. [6] In 1902 Kazuo Nagai, Japanese chemical engineer of the Government-General of Taiwan, isolated a pure crystalline compound from Derris elliptica which he called rotenone, after the Taiwanese name of the plant 蘆藤 (Min Nan Chinese : lôo-tîn) translated into Japanese rōten (ローテン). [7] By 1930, nicouline and rotenone were established to be chemically the same. [8]
When absorbed through the gills, rotenone disrupts cellular respiration in fish, and may lead to their death, depending on the concentration used. Due to this, it has become a key tool in managing ecosystems affected by invasive or unwanted fish species, and as of 2024 there are no viable options that can replace its versatile value in fish removal actions.
Its value in ecosystem restoration is appreciated due to its rapid degradation, when exposed to light and warm temperatures, making it a temporary measure with minimal long-term environmental effects, see Rotenone and Ecosystem Impact.
Rotenone is used as a nonselective piscicide (fish killer). [9] Rotenone has historically been used by indigenous peoples to catch fish. Typically, rotenone-containing plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, are crushed and introduced into a body of water, and as rotenone interferes with cellular respiration, the affected fish rise to the surface in an attempt to gulp air, where they are more easily caught.
In modern times it is frequently used as a tool to remove alien fish species, [10] as it has a relatively short half-life (days) and is gone from rivers in the course of days and from lakes within a few months, depending on (seasonal) stirring, organic content, availability of sunlight and temperature. [11] Rotenone has been used by government agencies to kill fish in rivers and lakes in the United States since 1952, [12] and in Canada [13] and Norway [14] since the 1980s. It is less frequently used in EU countries, due to strict regulations, but has seen some use in selected countries such as the UK (Topmouth gudgeon), Sweden (pike and pumpkinseed), Spain (Topmouth gudgeon, Gambusia) and Hungary (Prussian carp).
Rotenone has also seen some use in other field studies in the marine environment needing only small quantities. Small-scale sampling with rotenone is used by fish researchers studying the biodiversity of marine fishes to collect cryptic, or hidden, fishes, which represent an important component of shoreline fish communities, since it has only minor, local and transient environmental side effects. [15]
Rotenone primarily affects gilled organisms such as fish and aquatic invertebrates. Terrestrial animals such as birds, mammals, and amphibians (except tadpoles/larvae) are much less affected by rotenone. [16] When applied in freshwater systems, the treatment dose kills the target fish and usually other gilled species like tadpoles and zooplankton are affected, depending on dosage. However, timing treatments in the fall or winter, when many species are less active, can reduce these impacts. Some taxa may also recover through natural life cycles, such as resting eggs. Its use is more benign for the environment (as compared to drying ponds, or using other piscicides), and studies show that most ecosystems naturally recover within one or two years after rotenone application- with aquatic invertebrates repopulating affected areas, [17] [18] [19] thus restoring initial local biodiversity to its status prior to the introduction of the invasive species.
Rotenone decays through metabolites and its final product is reduced to water and carbon dioxide. [11] It oxidizes to rotenolone, which is about an order of magnitude less toxic than rotenone. In water, the rate of decomposition depends upon several factors, including temperature, pH, water hardness and sunlight. The half-life in natural waters ranges from half a day at 24 °C to 3.5 days at 0 °C. [20]
Norwegian authorities have been using rotenone since the mid-1980s to eradicate the salmon fluke Gyrodactylus salaris, [21] and as of 2024 48 out of 54 affected river catchments have been treated. Additionally, many lakes and ponds have been rotenone treated in an effort to remove national or regional invasive species, such as Northern pike, roach, minnow, crucian carp, Tench and perch. [22]
In 1992, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials used rotenone to eradicate an established population of invasive jaguar cichlids from a small pond in Miami-Dade County. Officials were successful in killing every jaguar cichlid (along with every other fish) in the pond, but unsuccessful in eradicating them from Florida; the cichlids had already spread throughout the Miami Canal and its connected waterways, and by 1994, jaguar cichlids had successfully established themselves throughout Southern and Central Florida. [23]
In September 2010, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials used rotenone to kill an established population of invasive goldfish present in eastern Oregon's Mann Lake, with the intention of not disrupting the lake's native Lahontan cutthroat trout population. Rotenone successfully achieved these aims, killing between 179,000–197,000 goldfish and fathead minnows, and only three trout. [24]
Beginning May 1, 2006, Panguitch Lake, a reservoir in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah, was treated with rotenone, to potentially eradicate and control the invasive population of Utah chub, which were probably introduced accidentally by anglers who used them as live bait. The lake was restocked with 20,000 rainbow trout in 2006; as of 2016, the lake's fish population has recovered.
In 2012, rotenone was used to kill all remaining fish in Stormy Lake (Alaska) due to invasive pike destroying native species, which were reintroduced once the treatment was concluded. [25]
In 2014, rotenone was used to kill all remaining fish in San Francisco's Mountain Lake, which is located in Mountain Lake Park, in order to rid it of invasive species introduced since the migration of European settlers to the region. [26]
Rotenone can be deactivated in water with the use of potassium permanganate to lower toxicity to acceptable levels. [27]
Rotenone was commercialized as cubé , tuba, or derris, in single preparation or in synergistic combination with other insecticides. [28] It has high acute toxicity to mammals, [29] and all insecticidal uses were banned in the United States and Canada, [30] [31] in the EU, [32] in the UK, [33] and in Switzerland. [32] It remains legal as a pesticide in a number of other countries, including Australia [34] and New Zealand; [35] the status and effective date of ban in select countries is provided in the table below.
Country | Status | Ban effective |
---|---|---|
Australia | legal | - |
Canada | banned | 31 December 2012 |
EU | banned | 10 October 2008 |
New Zealand | legal | - |
Switzerland | banned | 1 January 2014 |
United Kingdom | banned | 10 October 2008 |
United States | banned | 23 March 2011 (EPA); 28 January 2019 (USDA) |
Rotenone was used in powdered form to treat scabies and head lice on humans, and parasitic mites on chickens, livestock, and pet animals.
In agriculture it was unselective in action and killed potato beetles, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, cabbage worms, raspberry beetles, and asparagus beetles, as well as most other arthropods. It biodegrades rapidly in soil, with 90% degraded after 1–3 months at 20 °C (68 °F) and three times faster at 30 °C (86 °F). [36] The compound decomposes when exposed to sunlight and usually has an activity of six days in the environment. [37]
Rotenone works by interfering with the electron transport chain within complex I in mitochondria, which places it in IRAC MoA class 21 (by itself in 21B). [38] It inhibits the transfer of electrons from iron-sulfur centers in complex I to ubiquinone. This interferes with NADH during the creation of usable cellular energy (ATP). [28] Complex I is unable to pass off its electron to CoQ, creating a back-up of electrons within the mitochondrial matrix. Cellular oxygen is reduced to the radical, creating reactive oxygen species, which can damage DNA and other components of the mitochondria. [39]
Rotenone is used in biomedical research to study the oxygen consumption rate of cells, usually in combination with antimycin A (an electron transport chain Complex III inhibitor), oligomycin (an ATP synthase inhibitor) and FCCP (a mitochondrial uncoupler). [40]
Rotenone also inhibits microtubule assembly. [41]
Rotenone is produced by extraction from the roots and stems of several tropical and subtropical plant species, especially those belonging to the genera Lonchocarpus and Derris .
Some of the plants containing rotenone:
Rotenone is classified by the World Health Organization as moderately hazardous. [47] It is mildly toxic to humans and other mammals, but extremely toxic to insects and aquatic life, including fish. This higher toxicity in fish and insects is because the lipophilic rotenone is easily taken up through the gills or trachea, but not as easily through the skin or the gastrointestinal tract. Rotenone is toxic to erythrocytes in vitro . [48]
The lowest lethal dose for a child is not known, but death occurred in a 3.5-year-old child who had ingested 40 mg/kg rotenone solution. [49] Human deaths from rotenone poisoning are rare because its irritating action causes vomiting. [50] Deliberate ingestion of rotenone can be fatal. [49]
A 2018 study, which examined the effects of rotenone administration on cell cultures that mimicked properties of developing brains, found that rotenone may be a developmental neurotoxicant; that is, that rotenone exposure in the developing fetus may impede proper human brain development, with potentially profound consequences later in life. The study found that rotenone was particularly damaging to dopaminergic neurons, consistent with prior findings. [51]
In 2000, injecting rotenone into rats was reported to cause the development of symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease (PD). Rotenone was continuously applied over a period of five weeks, mixed with DMSO and PEG to enhance tissue penetration, and injected into the jugular vein. [52] The study does not directly suggest rotenone exposure is responsible for PD in humans, but is consistent with the belief that chronic exposure to environmental toxins increases the likelihood of the disease. [53] In 2011, a US National Institutes of Health study showed a link between rotenone use and Parkinson's disease in farm workers, suggesting a link between neural damage and pulmonary uptake by not using protective gear. [54] Exposure to the chemical in the field can be avoided by wearing a gas mask with filter, which is standard HSE procedure in modern application of the chemical.
Studies with primary cultures of rat neurons and microglia have shown low doses of rotenone (below 10 nM) induce oxidative damage and death of dopaminergic neurons, [55] and it is these neurons in the substantia nigra that die in Parkinson's disease. Another study has also described toxic action of rotenone at low concentrations (5 nM) in dopaminergic neurons from acute rat brain slices. [56] This toxicity was exacerbated by an additional cell stressor – elevated intracellular calcium concentration – adding support to the 'multiple hit hypothesis' of dopaminergic neuron death.
The neurotoxin MPTP had been known earlier to cause PD-like symptoms (in humans and other primates, though not in rats) by interfering with complex I in the electron transport chain and killing dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Further studies involving MPTP have failed to show development of Lewy bodies, a key component to PD pathology. However at least one study recently has found evidence of protein aggregation of the same chemical makeup as that which makes up Lewy bodies with similar pathology to Parkinson's disease in aged rhesus monkeys from MPTP. [57] Therefore, the mechanism behind MPTP as it relates to Parkinson's disease is not fully understood. [58] Because of these developments, rotenone was investigated as a possible Parkinson-causing agent. Both MPTP and rotenone are lipophilic and can cross the blood–brain barrier.
In 2010, a study was published detailing the progression of Parkinson's-like symptoms in mice following chronic intragastric ingestion of low doses of rotenone. The concentrations in the central nervous system were below detectable limits, yet still induced PD pathology. [59]
The substantia nigra (SN) is a basal ganglia structure located in the midbrain that plays an important role in reward and movement. Substantia nigra is Latin for "black substance", reflecting the fact that parts of the substantia nigra appear darker than neighboring areas due to high levels of neuromelanin in dopaminergic neurons. Parkinson's disease is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta.
Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. The major use of insecticides is in agriculture, but they are also used in home and garden settings, industrial buildings, for vector control, and control of insect parasites of animals and humans.
Cypermethrin (CP) is a synthetic pyrethroid used as an insecticide in large-scale commercial agricultural applications as well as in consumer products for domestic purposes. It behaves as a fast-acting neurotoxin in insects. It is easily degraded on soil and plants but can be effective for weeks when applied to indoor inert surfaces. It is a non-systemic and non-volatile insecticide that acts by contact and ingestion, used in agriculture and in pest control products. Exposure to sunlight, water and oxygen will accelerate its decomposition. Cypermethrin is highly toxic to fish, bees and aquatic insects, according to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) in the USA. It is found in many household ant and cockroach killers, including Raid, Ortho, Combat, ant chalk, and some products of Baygon in Southeast Asia.
MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) is an organic compound. It is classified as a tetrahydropyridine. It is of interest as a precursor to the monoaminergic neurotoxin MPP+, which causes permanent symptoms of Parkinson's disease by destroying dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. It has been used to study disease models in various animals.
Neurotoxicity is a form of toxicity in which a biological, chemical, or physical agent produces an adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system. It occurs when exposure to a substance – specifically, a neurotoxin or neurotoxicant– alters the normal activity of the nervous system in such a way as to cause permanent or reversible damage to nervous tissue. This can eventually disrupt or even kill neurons, which are cells that transmit and process signals in the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Neurotoxicity can result from organ transplants, radiation treatment, certain drug therapies, recreational drug use, exposure to heavy metals, bites from certain species of venomous snakes, pesticides, certain industrial cleaning solvents, fuels and certain naturally occurring substances. Symptoms may appear immediately after exposure or be delayed. They may include limb weakness or numbness, loss of memory, vision, and/or intellect, uncontrollable obsessive and/or compulsive behaviors, delusions, headache, cognitive and behavioral problems and sexual dysfunction. Chronic mold exposure in homes can lead to neurotoxicity which may not appear for months to years of exposure. All symptoms listed above are consistent with mold mycotoxin accumulation.
Paraquat (trivial name; ), or N,N′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride (systematic name), also known as methyl viologen, is a toxic organic compound with the chemical formula [(C6H7N)2]Cl2. It is classified as a viologen, a family of redox-active heterocycles of similar structure. This salt is one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide. It is quick-acting and non-selective, killing green plant tissue on contact.
Deguelin is a derivative of rotenone. Both are compounds classified as rotenoids of the flavonoid family and are naturally occurring insecticides. They can be produced by extraction from several plant species belonging to three genera of the legume family, Fabaceae: Lonchocarpus, Derris, or Tephrosia.
A piscicide is a chemical substance which is poisonous to fish. The primary use for piscicides is to eliminate a dominant species of fish in a body of water, as the first step in attempting to populate the body of water with a different fish. They are also used to combat parasitic and invasive species of fish.
Lonchocarpus is a plant genus in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 166 species native to the tropical Americas, tropical Africa, and Madasgascar. The species are called lancepods due to their fruit resembling an ornate lance tip or a few beads on a string.
MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium) is a positively charged organic molecule with the chemical formula C12H12N+. It is a monoaminergic neurotoxin that acts by interfering with oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria by inhibiting complex I, leading to the depletion of ATP and eventual cell death.
Derris eliptica is a species of leguminous plant from Southeast Asia and the southwest Pacific islands, including New Guinea. The roots of D. elliptica contain rotenone, a strong insecticide and fish poison.
Oxidopamine, also known as 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenethylamine, is a synthetic monoaminergic neurotoxin used by researchers to selectively destroy dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons in the brain.
Derris taiwaniana is a perennial climbing shrub belonging to the genus Derris. It is known by several synonyms, including Millettia pachycarpa and M. taiwaniana. It is widely used in traditional practices, such as for poisoning fish, agricultural pesticide, blood tonic, and treatments of cancer and infertility. The bark fiber is used for making strong ropes.
Health effects of pesticides may be acute or delayed in those who are exposed. Acute effects can include pesticide poisoning, which may be a medical emergency. Strong evidence exists for other, long-term negative health outcomes from pesticide exposure including birth defects, fetal death, neurodevelopmental disorder, cancer, and neurologic illness including Parkinson's disease. Toxicity of pesticides depend on the type of chemical, route of exposure, dosage, and timing of exposure.
Derris trifoliata is a plant species in the genus Derris of the family Fabaceae. It common in India and in various Indian languages it is known as Angaar valli in Sanskrit; Karanjvel in Marathi; Firta in Konkani; Tigekranugu, Nauatige and Chirathelathige in Telugu; Ketia and Swanlata in Oria; Kammattivalli and Ponumvalli in Malayalam; Kaliya lata or Kalilata and Panlata in Bengali; Panlata also in Hindi. It is also common in various parts of South East Asia with names eg Filipino ; Indonesian ; Malay ; Thai ; Vietnamese etc.
Tebufenpyrad is an insecticide and acaricide widely used in greenhouses. It is a white solid chemical with a slight aromatic smell. It is soluble in water and also in organic solvents.
Fenpropathrin, or fenopropathrin, is a widely used pyrethroid insecticide in agriculture and household. Fenpropathrin is an ingestion and contact synthetic pyrethroid. Its mode of action is similar to other natural (pyrethrum) and synthetic pyrethroids where in they interfere with the kinetics of voltage gated sodium channels causing paralysis and death of the pest. Fenpropathrin was the first of the light-stable synthetic pyrethroids to be synthesized in 1971, but it was not commercialized until 1980. Like other pyrethroids with an α-cyano group, fenpropathrin also belongs to the termed type II pyrethroids. Type II pyrethroids are a more potent toxicant than type I in depolarizing insect nerves. Application rates of fenpropathrin in agriculture according to US environmental protection agency (EPA) varies by crop but is not to exceed 0.4 lb ai/acre.
9-Methyl-β-carboline (9-Me-BC) is a heterocyclic amine of the β-carboline family, and a research chemical.
Animal models of Parkinson's disease are essential in the research field and widely used to study Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). The loss of the dopamine neurons in the brain, results in motor dysfunction, ultimately causing the four cardinal symptoms of PD: tremor, rigidity, postural instability, and bradykinesia. It is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, following Alzheimer's disease. It is estimated that nearly one million people could be living with PD in the United States.
A monoamine neurotoxin, or monoaminergic neurotoxin, is a drug that selectively damages or destroys monoaminergic neurons. Monoaminergic neurons are neurons that signal via stimulation by monoamine neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
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