INSECTICIDE USED VS MALARIA MADE 12 TIMES EFFECTIVE SIMPLY BY HEATING

Through a simple process of heating and cooling, New York University (NYU) researchers have created a new crystal form of deltamethrin -- a common insecticide used to control malaria -- resulting in an insecticide that is up to 12 times more effective against mosquitoes than the existing form. 

The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and carried by ScienceDaily, may provide a much-needed and affordable insecticide alternative in the face of growing resistance among mosquitoes. 

"The use of more active crystal forms of insecticides is a simple and powerful strategy for improving commercially available compounds for malaria control, circumventing the need for developing new products in the ongoing fight against mosquito-borne diseases," said Bart Kahr, professor of chemistry at NYU and one of the study's senior authors. 

As part of their research on crystal formation and growth, Kahr and Ward study and manipulate insecticide crystals, exploring their alternative forms. In their PNAS study, the researchers heated the commercially available form of deltamethrin to 110°C/230°F for a few minutes and let it cool to room temperature; this resulted in a new crystallized form of deltamethrin, composed of long, tiny fibers radiating from a single point. When tested on Anopheles quadrimaculatus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes -- both of which transmit malaria -- and fruit flies, the new crystal form of deltamethrin worked up to 12 times faster than the existing form. Fast-acting insecticides are important for quickly controlling mosquitoes before they reproduce or continue spreading diseases. The new form also remained stable -- and able to rapidly kill mosquitoes -- for at least three months.