title: Immobilisation of bifenthrin for termite control.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Termites are worldwide pests causing considerable damage to agriculture, forestry and buildings. While various approaches have been tried to eliminate termite populations, the relevant toxicants are associated with certain risks to the environment and human health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, to combine the merits of effective chemical control by bifenthrin and a drug photoimmobilisation technique, silk fibroin was used as a carrier to embed bifenthrin, which was then photoactively immobilised by ultraviolet treatment on the surface of wood (cellulose). The immobilised bifenthrin embedded in the photoactive silk fibroin was characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy (UV), fluorescence measurement and CHN analysis. The surface structures and biological activity were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and bioassays respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that the embedded and immobilised bifenthrin has been very well protected from free release and has a long-term stability allowing slow release with a high efficiency against termites at a low dose of 1.25 µg cm(-2). This study provides a novel and environmentally benign technique for termite control by photoimmobilising silk-fibroin-embedded bifenthrin on the surface of materials that are otherwise easily attacked by termites.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science and MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Jia Mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi Bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qi Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jun-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D007300:Insect Control; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D020049:Isoptera / Q000187:drug effects*; D007700:Kinetics; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D007306:Insecticides; D011722:Pyrethrins; D047011:Silk; C099952:bifenthrin