Insect Control Agents from Tropical Plants

Abstract

Since tropical plants are exposed throughout the entire year to attack by various parasites such as bacteria, fungi and insects, they are confronted with harsh conditions for survival. This leads to efficient built-in defense mechanisms, and thus tropical plants offer a rich and intriguing source of secondary metabolites possessing attractive pesticidal properties. These phytochemicals are mainly biodegradable and, more importantly, they are renewable. The efficient use of such renewable natural resources is becoming increasingly important worldwide.