BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ECDYSTEROIDS AND THEIR SYNTHETIC ANALOGUE BISACYLHYDRAZENE A REVIEW Reshma John , Rashmi P.

.A , Linu Mathew * School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala Pin-686560 Corresponding author email: linumathew@mgu.ac.in, mob:9447505690 ABSTRACT Ecdysteroids are polyhydroxylated steroid compounds with specific structural features (Lafont, 1998) and with typical moulting / metamorphosis hormone activities in arthropods (Bergamasco & Horn, 1980). Phytoecdysteroids are analogues of these invertebrate steroid hormones (zooecdysteroids) that occur in a wide variety of plant species [Bergamasco & Horn, 1983]. It appears that 56% of terrestrial plant species contain significant levels of ecdysteroids (Dinan, 1995). Most crop species do not contain detectable levels of ecdysteroids, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) being notable exceptions [Dinan, 1995]. Phytoecdysteroids are apparently non toxic to mammals and have a number of beneficial and pharmacological and medicinal applications (Dinan, 2001) which explain the usage of ecdysteroids containing plants in medicine. These plant species are primarily represented by Leuzea carthamoides, Rhaponticum uniflorum, and Serratula coronate. Phytoecdysteroids can be commercially exploited to improve production in sericulture. Today more than 140 different ecdysteroid-containing preparations are available on the market. They ususally contain 20E, sometimes in combination with other ecdysteroids, and they are proposed in particular for use by bodybuilders .Bisacylhydrazenes are non steroidal agonist of 20-hydroxyecdysone and exhibit their activity via interaction with ecdysteroid receptor proteins. These insecticides are safe to beneficial insects and have benign ecotoxicological properties. Four potent analogs (tebufenozide, methoxyfenozide, halofenozide and chromafenozide) are currently on the market as safer insecticides with reduced mammalian toxicity. Ecdysteroids and bisacylhydrazenes can be used as effective and potent elicitors in gene switch technologies. The purpose of the review is to summarise the biological effects of phytoecdysteroids and its non steroid analogue bisacylhydrazene.

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