Canine hookworm infections are endemic worldwide, with zoonotic transmission representing a potentially significant public health concern. This study aimed to investigate hookworm infection and identify the prevalent species from stray and shelter dogs in Guangzhou city, southern China by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. From March 2011 to July 2012, fresh faecal samples from a total of 254 dogs were obtained from five locations, namely Conghua, Baiyun, Liwan, Haizhu and Panyu, in Guangzhou. These samples were screened for the presence of hookworm eggs using light microscopy, with an overall prevalence of 29.53% being recorded. The highest prevalence of 45.28% was found in suburban dogs from Conghua compared with lower values recorded in urban dogs in Haizhu (21.43%), Baiyun (18.97%), Panyu (18.18%) and Liwan (15%). The prevalence in stray dogs was significantly higher than that in shelter dogs. PCR-RFLP analysis showed that 57.33% were detected as single hookworm infections with Ancyclostoma caninum, and 22.67% as A. ceylanicum, while 20% were mixed infections. This suggests that high prevalences of both hookworm species in stray and shelter dogs in China pose a potential risk of transmission from pet dogs to humans.

The insulin receptor (IR) is a transmembrane protein that is activated by ligands in insulin signaling pathways. The IR has been considered as a novel therapeutic target for clinical intervention, considering the overexpression of its protein and A-isoform in multiple cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and Type 2 diabetes mellitus in humans. Meanwhile, it may also serve as a potential target in pest management due to its multiple physiological influences in insects. In this review, we provide an overview of the structural and molecular biology of the IR, functions of IRs in humans and insects, physiological and nonpeptide small molecule modulators of the IR, and the regulating mechanisms of the IR. Xenobiotic compounds and the corresponding insecticidal chemicals functioning on the IR are also discussed. This review is expected to provide useful information for a better understanding of human IR-related diseases, as well as to facilitate the development of novel small-molecule activators and inhibitors of the IR for use as medicines or pesticides.

Self-assembled nanotechnology is a promising strategy for improving the effective utilization of pesticides due to its distinct advantages. Herein, an amide-bonded prodrug conjugate based on pyrimethanil (PYR) and butyric acid (BA) was successfully synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction and subsequently self-assembled into spherical nanoparticles (PB NPs) with an average size of 85 nm through the solvent exchange method without using any toxic adjuvant. The results showed that PB NPs based on PYR and BA had a synergistic antimicrobial activity against S. sclerotiorum on plant leaves due to good photostability, low volatilization, good surface activity, and improved retention. Additionally, PB NPs could be used by plant cells as nutrients to promote the growth of plants and thus reduced the toxicity of PYR to plant. Therefore, this prodrug conjugate self-assembly nanotechnology would provide a promising strategy for improving the effective utilization rates of pesticides and reducing their toxicities to plants.

BACKGROUND Berberine is a herbicidal chemical that we isolated from Coptis chinensis. In continuation of our program aimed at discovering and developing natural botanical herbicides, we evaluated the herbicidal activities of 39 berberine analogues and developed a three‐dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D‐QSAR) model. RESULTS Among these 39 analogs, the most active compounds were determined to be worenine chloride and coptisine chloride, with median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values on all eight tested weed species of < 10 mg L−1. As a reference, the IC50 values of berberine on six weed species were < 10 mg L−1. Furthermore, the results of a greenhouse experiment showed that at 10 mg L−1, and 7 days after treatment, the effects of worenine chloride and coptisine chloride on Lemna minor and Ageratum conyzoides were significantly higher than those of glyphosate and sulcotrione. In the 3D‐QSAR analysis, the electrostatic field contour map indicated that introducing an electropositive group in the N‐7, C‐9 and C‐10 positions would potentially improve the inhibition rate. A positively charged nitrogen atom at the N‐7 position was important for activity. Replacement of ‐OCH3 by ‐OH at the C‐9 and C‐10 positions could decrease the inhibitory activity, while the hydrophobic field contour map revealed that the hydrophobicity of the C‐10 position was associated with high activity. Moreover, the hydrogen bond acceptor field contour map suggested that the existence of a hydrogen bond acceptor at the C‐3 and C‐9 positions might affect the inhibition rate. CONCLUSIONS 3D‐QSAR provided meaningful clues to the structural features of berberine analogues that will assist the design of more potent herbicidal compounds in the future. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Herbicides are widely used in modern agricultural production for their advantages of high efficiency, convenience, and speed. However, there have been many problems caused by herbicide formulations, such as volatilization, leaching, and rainwashing loss in the process of agricultural application. Selfassembled nanotechnology is a promising strategy to solve these existing problems due to the environmentally friendly preparation process and high delivery efficiency. In this study, the stable fluorescent nanoparticles (AP NPs) based on co-assembly of acifluorfen (ACI) and poly(salicylic acid) (PSA) are constructed by using non-covalent bond interactions. The results indicate that the obtained nanoparticles with a stable fluorescence characteristic show improved physiochemical properties, such as uniform morphology, good thermal stability, low surface tension, and high retention on plants. The co-assembly can produce singlet oxygen to enhance the herbicidal activity under irradiation of light and reduce the leaching property of ACI to minimize the adverse impact on the aquatic environment. The safety evaluation of soybean seedlings indicates that AP NPs have no damage to non-target plants. In summary, the co-assembled herbicidal nano-formulation composed of ACI and PSA has high bioactivity and low environmental risks, which can be widely used in agricultural production.