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Updated: Aug 30, 2025

Protocols for Testing the Toxicity of Novel Insecticidal Chemistries to Mosquitoes
Published on: February 13, 2019
Non-covalent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: In vitro screening and molecular modeling for novel selective
Vendula Hepnarova1, Martina Hrabinova1, Lubica Muckova1
1University of Defence, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Biomedical Research Centre, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
Insecticides represent the most crucial element in the integrated management approach to malaria and other vector-borne diseases. The evolution of insect resistance to long-used substances and the toxicity of organophosphates (OPs) and carbamates are the main factors contributing to the development of new, environmentally safe pesticides. In our work, fourteen compounds of 7-methoxytacrine-tacrine heterodimers were tested for their insecticidal effect. Compounds were evaluated in vitro on insect acetylcholinesterase from Anopheles gambiae (AgAChE) and Musca domestica (MdAChE). The evaluation was executed in parallel with testing on human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (HssAChE) and human butyrylcholinesterase (HssBChE) using a modified Ellman's method. Compound efficacy was determined as IC50 values for the respective enzymes and selectivity indexes were expressed to compare the interspecies selectivity. Docking studies were performed to predict the binding modes of selected compounds. K1328 and K1329 provided high HssAChE/AgAChE selectivity outperforming standard pesticides (carbofuran and bendiocarb), and thus can be considered as suitable lead structure for novel anticholinesterase insecticides.
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