Pyrethrum: the Natural Insecticide covers the papers presented at the 1972 "International Symposium on Recent Advances with Pyrethrum the Natural Insecticide" held in conjunction with the American Institute of Biological Sciences Silver Anniversary Meeting at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. It deals with all aspects of pyrethrum, including its history, production, chemistry, biochemistry, toxicology, pharmacology, and agricultural applications.
The introductory part addresses the early history of pyrethrum, its recognition as a modern insecticide, and its worldwide production. The chemistry and biochemistry parts discuss the composition, isolation, structure, synthesis, biosynthesis, metabolism, and action on enzyme systems of natural pyrethrins extracted from pyrethrum flower. The book also examines the toxicology of pyrethrum and its constituents to mammals, fish, and wildlife, as well as tests for possible teratogenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and allergenic activities. Finally, it discusses the domestic and agricultural applications of pyrethrum.
Considering its desirable features, researchers find pyrethrum unsurpassed by any type of synthetic organic insecticide and even by the best synthetic analogs or pyrethroids.