Can Lufenuron be an alternative treatment option in small animal dermatomycosis?

Lufenuron (Benzoyl-phenyl urea) is a chitin synthesis inhibitor that inhibits chitin production. It has an ectoparasitic effect by causing impairment in chitin biosynthesis and larval development of various parasite species. Lufenuron is an agent that is effectively used as a pesticide against agricultural pests in the ecosystem and veterinary medicine. It is used to control various ectoparasites such as fleas and scabies of cats and dogs. The high prevalence of mycotic diseases in pet animals, especially in cats and dogs, and the increasing drug resistance in veterinary medicine reveal the importance of different treatment options. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Lufenuron as a new antimycotic agent in veterinary medicine.

Development-Disrupting Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor, Novaluron, Reprogramming the Chitin Degradation Mechanism of Red Palm Weevils

Disruption in chitin regulation by using chitin synthesis inhibitor (novaluron) was investigated to gain insights into the biological activity of chitinase in red palm weevils, an invasive pest of date palms in the Middle East. Impact of novaluron against ninth instar red palm weevil larvae was examined by dose-mortality response bioassays, nutritional indices, and expression patterns of chitinase genes characterized in this study. Laboratory bioassays revealed dose-dependent mortality response of ninth-instar red palm weevil larvae with LD50 of 14.77 ppm of novaluron. Dietary growth analysis performed using different doses of novaluron (30, 25, 20, 15, 10, and 5 ppm) exhibited very high reduction in their indexes such as Efficacy of Conversion of Digested Food (82.38%) and Efficacy of Conversion of Ingested Food (74.27%), compared with control treatment. Transcriptomic analysis of red palm weevil larvae characterized numerous genes involved in chitin degradation including chitinase, chitinase-3-like protein 2, chitinase domain-containing protein 1, Endochitinase-like, chitinase 3, and chitin binding peritrophin-a domain. However, quantitative expression patterns of these genes in response to novaluron-fed larvae revealed tissue-specific time-dependent expression patterns. We recorded overexpression of all genes from mid-gut tissues. Growth retarding, chitin remodeling and larvicidal potential suggest novaluron as a promising alternate for Rhynchophorus ferrugineus management.