Azadirachtin induced larval avoidance and antifeeding by disruption of food intake and digestive enzymes in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Botanical insecticides are a promising alternative to reduce the harmful effects of synthetic chemicals. Among the botanical biopesticides, azadirachtin obtained from the Indian neem tree Azadirachta indica A. Juss.

Preimaginal exposure to azadirachtin affects food selection and digestive enzymes in adults of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Among the plant derived product, azadirachtin, a neem-based insecticide, is exceptional in having a broad range of bioactivity including toxicity, growth, development and reproduction effects, repellency and antifeedancy. If considerable progress on the physiological and biological activities and agricultural application of azadirachtin has been achieved, its exact mechanism of action remains uncertain. In this study, we aimed at assessing the lethal and sublethal behavioral and physiological effects of azadirachtin on Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) as biological model.