REVIEW PAPER
Synthetic Insecticides – is There an Alternative?
Szymon Chowański, Milena Kudlewska, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz Rosiński
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Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University,
Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2014;23(2):291-302
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ABSTRACT
Synthetic insecticides are very efficient in insect control but can be harmful for the environment and
health. They cause disturbances in ecosystem functioning, are toxic for a wide range of non-target organisms,
and have a high tendency to accumulate in the environment. Because of this, some alternatives are being
sought. A good solution seems to use biologically active peptides like peptide hormones, neurohormones, or
neuromodulators to regulate major processes in insects: development, growth, reproduction, and metabolism.
Peptides, such as trypsin modulating oostatic factor (TMOF), pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptides
(PBANs), pyrokinins (PKs), sulfakinins (SKs), and allostatins (ASTs), as well as their analogues, have
been extensively studied to produce pseudopeptides and peptidomimetics used by modern agriculture in contrast
to chemical insecticides.