Progress and future of pyrethroids.

After the chemical structure of "natural pyrethrins," the insecticidal ingredient of pyrethrum flowers, was elucidated, useful synthetic pyrethroids provided with various characteristics have been developed by organic chemists throughout the world, leading to the advancement of pyrethroid chemistry. Even in pyrethroids with high selective toxicity, a chemical design placing too much importance on efficacy improvements may invite loss of the safety margin. It is strongly hoped that the development of household pyrethroids and their preparations for use in living environments around humans and pets will be achieved in the future by retaining the characteristics of natural pyrethrins.