1-Phenylisoquinoline larvicidal activity against Culex quinquefasciatus

Abstract

The larvicidal potential of several dopamine 1-phenylisoquinoline derivatives against Culex quinquefasciatus third instar larvae was investigated in a rational search for insecticides. The results showed that these isoquinolines presented moderate larvicidal activity, that the presence of a substituent is needed on carbon 1 for such activity to be presented and that it may be possible to develop novel insecticidal compounds having potential use in controlling insects by appropriate structural modification of 1-phenylisoquinolines. This article presents a possible structure–larvicidal activity relationship for isoquinolinic compounds.

Keywords:

• Pictet–Spengler
• isoquinoline
• alkaloid
• Culex quinquefasciatus
• dopamine
• Berberis

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully wish to acknowledge the Universidad Nacional de Colombia for financing this work, the Departamento de Química for providing the laboratory facilities and the Medicine Faculty's Entomology laboratory for rearing the mosquito larvae.