Trimethacarb is an insecticide with primarily stomach action. It is
mainly used to control corn root worm larvae in maize but it also controls
a wide range of insect and mollusc pests. Trimethacarb acts as a bird and
mammal repellent.
2,3,5-Trimethacarb is a major constituent in landrin insecticide.
ChEBI: 2,3,5-trimethylphenyl methylcarbamate is a carbamate ester that consists of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol carrying an O-(N-methylcarbamoyl) group. One of two constituents of trimethacarb. It has a role as an agrochemical and an insecticide. It is functionally related to a 2,3,5-trimethylphenol.
The metabolic pathways of trimethacarb in plants, mammals and insects
involve mainly oxidation of N-methyl or ring-methyl substituents and
conjugation. Some hydroxylation of the phenyl ring and ester hydrolysis
occurs. The metabolism of trimethacarb was reviewed by Fukuto (1972),
Kuhr and Dorough (1976) and by Schlagbauer and Schlagbauer (1972).
Trimethacarb is hydrolysed by strong acids and alkalis but aqueous solutions
are stable to light (PM). Trimethacarb was applied to bean leaves
and exposed to natural sunlight for 4 days. Both isomers were
decomposed more rapidly when exposed to sunlight compared with
normal light in the laboratory. The compounds were almost completely
decomposed. Major photoproducts resulted from hydroxylation of
methyl substituents of the phenyl ring (2 and 3) and of the N-methyl
group (5 and 6) (see Schemes 1 and 2). There were few products of
hydrolysis (Slade and Casida, 1970; Kuhr and Dorough, 1976).
