No abstract

Summary. An oviposition-deterring pheromone (ODP) of the European cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi L. was isolated from faeces using cellulose and several reverse phase TLC and HPLC procedures. The biological activity was evaluated by means of behavior tests and by electrophysiological recordings from tarsal contact chemoreceptors. The compound was structurally characterized as a N[15(fl-glucopyranosyl)oxy-8-hydroxypalmitoyl]-taurine by spectroscopic means. The configurations of C-8 and C-15 of the fatty acid constituent remain to be established by synthetic work.

No abstract

Tarsal contact chemoreceptors of the black swallowtail butterfly Papilio polyxenes (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) were stimulated with leaf‐surface extracts and ethanolic extracts of whole leaves of a host‐plant (Daucus carota) and a non‐host (Brassica oleracea). Both leaf extracts evoked large numbers of spikes but stimulated different receptor neurones. It is concluded that a large difference exists between the sensory responses to host and non‐host extracts. Two chemicals, luteolin 7‐0‐(6“‐0‐malonyl)‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside and trans‐chlorogenic acid, known to be present in the host and known oviposi‐tion stimulants for P.polyxenes, were also tested and shown to be active. No responses were found to luteolin 7‐O‐β‐D‐glucoside or to luteolin 7‐O‐β‐D‐glucuronide. These flavonoids occur in D.carota foliage, but do not stimulate oviposition.

Pentapharm Ltd. has a long tradition of producing and proceeding snake venom components as APIs and tools in pharmaceutical and diagnostic applications, beginning with the snake venom-derived product Reptilase^® about 60 years ago. In recent years diagnostic test kits in the field of haemostasis have been developed, like Pefakit^® APC-R Factor V Leiden and Pefakit^® PiCT^®, which make use of one or more snake venom compounds as key reactants. The venom-derived compounds are responsible for many outstanding properties of these tests and account for their top ranking performance qualities confirmed in non-clinical and clinical studies. Both tests are on the market in Europe. Pefakit^® APC-R Factor V Leiden is also marketed in the US since January 2005. Research on snake venom-derived compounds for diagnostic and pharmaceutical use is ongoing.