The goal of this project is to develop a rodenticide containing an emetic as the active ingredient. There is an increasing need for such an acute rodenticide in urban communities where rats are becoming resistant to warfarin and other ridenticides of the chronic anticoagulant type. The problem wuth high toxicity rodenticides such as zinc phosphide is that there is no safety margin to protect human and domestic animals against accidental poisoning. In this project four plant derived emetic compounds will be prepared and incorporated into an acute toxicity rodent bait. Rats and mice which are unable to vomit will be poisoned while cats, dogs and humans will be unaffected. The emetics are: scillirosidin obtained from red squill, scillarenin from white squill, the digitalis derived from digitoxigenin from digitoxin, and wisterine from wisterial vine seeds. Preparative, analytical and animal test methods will be developed on the emetic aglycones. The emetic activity will be established in pigeons, and later tested with an acute rodenticide in a rat bait. The most likely candidates will be field tested. Success in this project will provide a new approach to the growing problem of rat infestation in urban communities.
