Description
Milbemycin A
3 is a member of a complex family of macrocyclic lactones that contain a characteristic spiroketal group produced from the fermentation of soil bacterium
S. hygroscopicus subsp.
aureolacrimosus. As a compound that potentiates glutamate and GABA-gated chloride-channel opening, milbemycin A
3 is used as a nematocide and insecticide. The acaricidal and nematocidal activity of a mixture of milbemycin A
3 and milbemycin A
4 against adult spider mites, spider mite eggs, and
C. elegans are reported at IC
50 values of 5.3, 41.1, and 9.5 μg/ml.
Uses
Milbemycins are a complex family of macrocyclic lactones containing a highly characteristic spiroketal group, produced by Streptomyces hydroscopicus subsp. aureolarcrimosus. Milbemycin A3 is a major member of a group of analogues containing a 25-methyl substituent. Milbemycin A3 is a highly selective and potent nematocide and insecticide. Like the closely related avermectins, milbemycins are thought to act on chloride-gated ion channels.
