In vitro investigation of anticholinesterase activity of four biochemical pesticides: spinosad, pyrethrum, neem bark extract and veratrine

The anticholinesterase activity of four biochemical pesticides: spinosad, pyrethrum, neem bark extract and veratrine was tested against one acetylcholinesterase extracted from Electrophorus electricus and two from Drosophila melanogaster. Pyrethrum, neem bark extract, and veratrine induced a dose-related inhibition of a variable type. Electric eel cholinesterase was inhibited uncompetitively by neem bark extract, the inhibition of the wilde-type fruit fly enzyme by pyrethrum was competitive, and the other enzyme-biochemical pesticide inhibitions were non-competitive. The sensitivity of each enzyme toward biochemical pesticides was variable.