What is avermectin?

  Avermectin, the English name of Avermectins, is a class of macrocyclic lactone compounds with insecticidal, acaricidal and nematicidal activities first developed by Tomo Omura of Kitasato University, Japan and Merck, USA. According to China’s pesticide toxicity classification standard, avermectin is a highly toxic insecticide. Its mechanism is to act on the GABAA receptors of insect neuronal synapses or neuromuscular synapses, interfere with the information transmission of nerve endings in insects, stimulate the release of neurotransmission inhibitor γ-aminobutyric acid from nerve endings, prompt the prolonged opening of GABA-gated chloride channels, which has an activating effect on chloride channels, and the influx of a large number of chloride ions causes supercharging of nerve membrane potential, resulting in the inhibition of nerve membranes. Thus blocking the connection between nerve endings and muscles, so that insects paralyze, refuse to eat, and die.  As the application of this pesticide becomes more and more widespread, the number of human poisoning cases is gradually increasing. Severe poisoning is mainly manifested as central depression, coma, respiratory failure, drop in blood pressure, and even death by cardiac arrest and ventricular fibrillation.