de Licastro_1982_Pest.Sci_13_505

A series of O,O-diethyl O-4-(2,2-disubstituted-vinyl)phenyl phosphorothioates and phosphates was synthesised and examined for anticholinesterase activity to housefly and bovine erythrocyte ChE, and also for their toxicity to Musca domestica and Triatoma infestans. The synthesised phosphates were potent anticholinesterases and stronger inhibitors of housefly acetylcholinesterase than bovine erythrocyte acetyl-cholinesterase. Satisfactory correlation was obtained between the anticholinesterase activity and the Hammett -- constants against both enzymes, but it was not significantly improved by introducing a term for the Hansch constant. The phosphorothioates showed poor and variable toxicity to M. domestica. On T. infestans, the only compound that showed some toxicity was the di(acetyl)-substituted product [O-4-(2-acetyl-3-oxobut-1-enyl)phenyl O,O-diethyl phosphorothioate]. For comparative studies, some commercial products were also assayed on T. infestans.