Cartap is obtained by hydrolyzing 1,1-dithiocyanato-
2-dimethylaminopropane with hydrochloric acid. Cartap
is the pro-insecticide of the natural toxin nereistoxin. It
is used for the control of chewing and sucking insects, at almost all stages of development, on many crops. Its
structure is based on that of the naturally occurring neurotoxin,
nereistoxin.
ChEBI: Cartap is a nereistoxin analogue insecticide.
Cartap is hydrolyzed in base to the dihydronereistoxin,
which is oxidized to the insecticide, nereistoxin
(32). The conversion occurs within plants, and the
monoxide (33)was identified as aminor metabolite. In rats,
cartap was rapidly excreted in urine. It was hydrolyzed,
converted to the sulfoxide, and N-demethylated (9).
Nereistoxin does not inhibit cholinesterase. Instead, it
acts as an antagonist at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
and blocks neural transmission (10).
