Carbamate Insecticides
Dr. Kumari Anjana
Assistant Professor
Deptt. of Veterinary Pharmacology & Toxicology
Bihar Veterinary College, Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna
Content of the chapter
• Introduction
• Classification
• Similarities with organophosphate compounds
• Differences from OP compounds
• Mechanism of action
• Clinical signs
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
Carbamate Insecticides
• The carbamate insecticides represent the third
major group of synthetic organic insecticides
developed after World War II.
• Carbamate Insecticides are widely used in
agricultural, veterinary and household practices by
virtue of their properties like;
broad-spectrum of activity,
low mammalian toxicity and
rapid environmental inactivation.
Classification
• Naphthyl carbamates- Carbaryl (sevin).
• Phenyl carbamates – Propoxur.
• Heterocyclic methyl carbamates-
pyrolan and isolan.
• Heterocyclic dimethyl carbamates-
Carbofuran and furadan.
• Oximes- aldicarb, methomyl and thiodicarb.
Similarities with organophosphate compounds
• Carbamate insecticides are similar to organophosphorus
insecticides in most of their properties like:
– mode of action,
– range of toxicity,
– lack of environmental persistence and
– lack of safety for beneficial insects and non- target
species.
– Similar to OP compounds, they do not have
cumulative properties.
Differences from OP compounds
Carbamates differ from OP compounds in following aspects:
--They are reversible inhibitors of cholinesterase (ChE)
enzyme.
– They inhibit cholinesterase at both anionic and esteratic
sites.
– They are selective inhibitors of cholinesterase enzyme
and do not inhibit carboxylesterase enzyme.
– Decarbamoylation (reactivation) of inhibited ChE enzyme
is easier.
– Cholinesterase enzyme reactivators like 2-PAM are
ineffective (contraindicated) in the carbamate
intoxication.
Mechanism of action
• Carbamate inhibit acetylcholinesterase enzyme, but
these insecticides occupy both anionic and esteratic
sites of AChE.
• The inhibition in case of Carbamate results from a
chemical reaction between the carbamoyl moiety of
carbamate compound and the active site serine
hydroxyl group of AChE to form carbamoylated
enzyme rather than phosphorylated as with the
organophosphate.
• The carbamoylated enzyme is relatively less stable
and susceptible to hydrolysis, although rate of
hydrolysis is not very fast as with acetylcholine.
• Therefore, the decarbamoylation is easier in
comparison to dephosporylation (OPs).
• Because of relatively rapid reactivation of
carbamoylated AChE, the carbamate insecticides are
often called reversible anticholinesterase agents.
• Toxicosis develops when the amount of carbamate
pesticide in the body is so large that the rate of
carbamoylation of AChE exceeds the rate of
hydrolysis of pesticide by the enzyme.
Clinical signs
Muscarinic signs:
Profuse salivation (watery drooling), bronchial
secretions and constriction, diarrhoea, frequent
urination and miosis.
Nicotinic signs:
Muscular tremors, convulsions, paralysis of respiratory
muscles and dyspnoea.
CNS signs:
Restlessness, ataxia, depression of respiratory and
vasomotor centres, paralysis, coma and death due to
respiration failure followed by cardiovascular failure.
Diagnosis:
• History, circumstantial evidence,
• Clinical signs,
• Estimation of blood ChE activity (25% or more
decrease in OPI and carbamate toxicity) and
• Identification of the insecticide in feed, water,
ruminal content or tissues.
Treatment:
• Atropine sulphate only
• Not ChE-reactivators.
Members
• Carbaryl: used as ectoparasiticide in
animals.
• Carbofuran: It is extensively used as a
soil insecticide, where it has replaced
cyclodienes for control of seed eating
pests of grain crops.
Propoxur:
• It is used to control house-hold insects such as
cockroaches, bedbugs and wasps.
• It is also used as a replacement of DDT for
malaria control and is applied against a number of
food, vegetable and ornamental pests.
Methomyl:
• It is a broad-spectrum oxime carbamate which is
highly effective against many plant feeding
insects and also has high ovicidal activity.
Thank You