Fipronil

Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that belongs to the phenylpyrazole chemical family. Fipronil disrupts the insect central nervous system by blocking the ligand-gated ion channel of the GABAA receptor and glutamate-gated chloride (GluCl) channels. This causes hyperexcitation of contaminated insects' nerves and muscles. Fipronil's specificity towards insects is believed to be due to its greater binding affinity to the GABAA receptors of insects, than to those of mammals, and to its action on GluCl channels, which do not exist in mammals. , there did not appear to be significant resistance among fleas to fipronil. Because of its effectiveness on various pests, fipronil is used as the active ingredient in flea control products for pets and home roach traps as well as field pest control for corn, golf courses, and commercial turf. Its widespread use makes its specific effects the subject of considerable attention. This includes ongoing observations on possible off-target harm to humans or ecosystems as well as the monitoring of resistance development. Fipronil is or has been used in: Under the trade name Regent, it is used against major lepidopteran (moth, butterfly, etc.) and orthopteran (grasshopper, locust, etc.) pests on a wide range of field and horticultural crops and against coleopteran (beetle) larvae in soils. In 1999, 400,000 hectares were treated with Regent. It became the leading imported product in the area of rice insecticides, the second-biggest crop protection market after cotton in China. Under the trade names Goliath and Nexa, it is employed for cockroach and ant control, including in the United States. It is also used against pests of field corn, golf courses, and commercial lawn care under the trade name Chipco Choice. It has been used under the trade name Adonis for locust control in Madagascar and Kazakhstan. Marketed under the names Termidor, Ultrathor, Fipforce and Taurus in Africa and Australia, fipronil effectively controls termite pests, and was shown to be effective in field trials in these countries.