Comparative toxicity of malathion and its metabolite Alhpa-[O,O-Dimethyl phosphorodithio] propionic acid ethyl ester towards mice

The organophosphorus insecticide malathion [I] and its metabolite alpha-[O, O-dimethyl phosphorodithio] propionic acid ethyl ester [II] have been tested for their acute and subacute oral toxicity in mice. The oral LD50 values were determined to be 900 and 820 mg/kg, for malathion and its metabolite, respectively. Administration of both compounds to mice with one fifth and one tenth of their calculated oral LD50 for two weeks led to a significant depression of blood and brain cholinesterase activity in all treated groups. The maximum inhibition for brain cholinesterase activity [36-47%] and plasma [40-51%] was observed after 10 days of treatment. All treated mice returned to their normal statement after one week recovery period. Both compounds proved to have comparable toxicity towards mice

Toxicological potential to mice of 14C-arbaryl bound residues in faba and soybeans

Sound faba and soybeans were treated with 14C-carbaryl at a dose of 16 mg insecticide/kg grains and stored under local conditions. After 30 weeks of storage the amount of surface residues was 29%, 27% and the internal residues amounted to 56%, 60% in faba and soybeans, respectively. 14C-Bound residues [non-extractable] after 30 weeks of storage was 5% and 6% in faba and soybeans, respectively. Feeding mice for 3 months with a diet containing 14C-carbaryl bound residues in faba and soybeans revealed that these residues have a slight effect and no significant symptoms of toxicity towards mice were observed. A slight inhibition in both plasma and erythrocyte-cholinesterase activity was clear during the first 2 weeks of the experiment with both seeds. Haematological studies showed only a significant decrease in the white blood cell counts as compared with the control mice. The level of blood serum esterases showed a slight increase in liver and kidney functions as compared with controls. Significant differences were clear in kidney function where blood urea nitrogen was increased by [45%, 58%], and creatinine level was elevated by [20%,28%] after 3 months of feeding with faba and soybeans, respectively