Abstract

PESTANA, Miguel. The Insecticides Obtained from Turpentine. Silva Lus. [online]. 2011, vol.19, n.Especial, pp.127-133. ISSN 0870-6352.

Over a period of millions of years there has been a close association, evolution and adaptation between plants and insects. The plants have developed terpenes and their derivatives for their own protection and pollination. The insects interact with these substances, ingesting and using them or their biosynthesized derivatives for their own bio-regulation. They have used them as sex hormones, growth and development hormones and pheromones of behaviour such as feeding, aggregation, alarm, and defence. It is also known that turpentine (the volatile fraction of the pine resin, obtained by its distillation) and some of its derivatives have in their constitution substances known as insecticides. This article reviews the most important products - the thiocyanates, the chlorinated terpenes, the chrysanthemum-carboxylic acids, the terpenes and derivatives and the terpene polymers - discussing their main characteristics, chemical synthesis, advantages and disadvantages.

Keywords : Insecticides; turpentine; terpenes; toxicology; production.

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