Alterations in acetylcholinesterase and electrical activity in the nervous system of cockroach exposed to the neem derivative, azadirachtin

Botanical insecticides are relatively safe and biodegradable, and are readily available sources of bioinsecticides. In recent years, the neem derivative, azadirachtin, has been examined as an alternative to synthetic insecticides because of its broad-spectrum insecticidal action. Because many of the natural products and synthetic compounds used in the control of insect pests are known to exhibit electrophysiological effects, in this paper we focused our studies on the alterations in the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and electrical activity in the nervous system of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, exposed to azadirachtin. Exposure to azadirachtin produced an excitatory effect on spontaneous electrical activity as well as cercal sensory-mediated giant-fiber responses in the cockroach. Topical exposure to sublethal doses of azadirachtin did not result in any significant alterations in the AChE activity in different regions of the nervous system. We suggest that azadirachtin exerts excitatory action on the electrical activity in the nervous system of cockroach by interfering with the ion channels in the nerve membrane, the probable target of several insecticides.