Microbial Modification of Red Squill as a Rodenticide

摘要

The purpose of the study was to develop a basis for a new palatable, lethal, and emetic red squill rodenticide. Red squill, Urginea maritima (Liliaceae) is an onion-like plant whose bulbs and roots contain bufadienolides such as scilliroside, a bitter glyoside that is highly toxic and emetic to humans and most animals. In the study, two strains of the bacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and two strains of the fungus, Asperigillus niger, were used to treat red squill mashes and powders, thereby converting scilliroside to its tasteless aglycone, scillirosidin. Scillirosidin preparations can be significant as agents that induce retching. Such products can be useful to protect seeds and other forestry and agricultural germ plasm sources from birds and other predators.