Review of Related Literature

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Termites Infestation
Although termites are best famous for destroying wood, they actually eat a variety of plant materials,
including dead wood, leaves, live plants, grasses, shrubs, and trees. This means that any plants in your
yard or garden could be seriously threatened by termites. Termites can also consume any material that is
softer than their hardened jaws, including wood and plant fibers. This category includes not only drywall
but also foam, plastics, and thin sheets. In a natural environment, termites (also known as “Anay”) are
actually useful to the ecology because they help to break down nutrients from dead trees and plants.
However, termites become a formidable threat when they invade our living space. Based on a research, an
average house repair costs an estimate of P205,000. The bigger the property the higher the cost to repair
or renovate it and termites can be the cause of these damages.
In the Philippines, termite damage is actually much more common compared to fire and flood
because our tropical environment and high humidity encourage the growth of termite population. As they
can feed on wood for 24 hours-a-day without sleeping, a termite infestation can quickly lead to costly
repairs and structural failure (Rentokil, 2023).
Therefore, this study aims to produce an organic insecticide that will benefit each one of us.
Cyanide is a chemical known as one of the deadliest poisons. It has been used in chemical warfare and
mass suicide. Many compounds that contain cyanide—called cyanoglycosides—are found in nature, often
in fruit seeds. Amygdalin is one of these. Apple seeds, and many other fruit seeds or pits, have a strong
outer layer resistant to digestive juices. But if you chew the seeds, amygdalin could be released in the
body and produce cyanide. Small amounts can be detoxified by enzymes in your body. However, large
amounts can be dangerous (Olsen, 2023).
Cyanogenic Glycoside
The cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin, is found in several plant sources, particularly in the seeds of
apples, pears, and members of the Prunus species (apricots, plums, peaches, etc.). Amygdalin is
converted into hydrogen cyanide after ingestion and may induce cyanide toxicity. Reported neurological
complications of cyanide toxicity include peripheral nerve demyelination, optic neuropathy, deafness,
and parkinsonism. Because these fruit seeds are uncommon in Western diets, clinical cyanide toxicity is
rarely seen.
Cyanogenic glycosides are natural plant toxicants. Action by endogenous plant enzymes can
release hydrogen cyanide causing potential toxicity issues for animals including humans (Bolarinwa,
2015).
Cyanide and cyanide-containing compounds are used in pesticides and fumigants for its ability to
kill pests and insects. They were used as chemical weapons for the first time in World War I. Low levels
of cyanides are found in nature and in products we commonly eat and use. Cyanides can be produced by
certain bacteria, fungi and algae. Cyanides are also found in cigarette smoke, in vehicle exhaust, and in
foods such as spinach, bamboo shoots, almonds, lima beans, fruit pits and tapioca (McDonald et al.,
2006).
Cyanide in apple seeds
Apple seeds, and many other fruit seeds or pits, have a strong outer layer resistant to digestive
juices. But if you chew the seeds, amygdalin could be released in the body and produce cyanide. Small
amounts can be detoxified by enzymes in your body. However, large amounts can be dangerous (Olsen
2023).
It was discovered in 1782 by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who prepared it from the
pigment Prussian blue. Hydrogen cyanide and its compounds are used for many chemical processes,
including fumigation, the case hardening of iron and steel, electroplating, and the concentration of ores.
Apples contain plenty of healthful compounds, including antioxidants, vitamins, and dietary fiber. Apple
seeds, however, contain a plant compound called amygdalin, which can have a toxic effect. Amygdalin is
a part of the seeds’ chemical defenses. It is harmless when a seed is intact, but when a seed is chewed or
otherwise damaged, the amygdalin degrades into hydrogen cyanide. This is very poisonous and even
lethal in high doses (Hatanaka, 2023).
Amygdalin exists in relatively high amounts in the seeds of fruits in the Rosaceae family, which
includes apples, almonds, apricots, peaches, and cherries.People have used cyanide as a poison through
out history. It works by interfering with cells’ oxygen supplies, and high doses may lead to death within
minutes. So far is this from being the case that hydrogen cyanide 'fumigation' is commonly employed as a
means of killing insect pests on greenhouse plants which are little if at all adversely affected by the
process ; it is also extensively used in plant quarantine and against scale insects of citrus trees
Hydrogen Cyanide by soil Bacteria
In recent decades, there has been a steady increase in the amount of pesticides used. The excessive
use of pesticides in a variety of pest management situations including commercial farming, lawn
care/landscaping, forestry and wood preservation may lead to soil and water pollution and the destruction
of biodiversity which are the consequences of pest's habitat destruction by human activity. In addition,
some insects that feed on plants producing cyanogenic glucosides are able to utilize the plant’s cyanide to
defend themselves against predation. Burnet moths are able to synthesize their own cyanide to protect
themselves (George, 2017)
According to the report from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about 5 billion pounds of
pesticide's active ingredients were used worldwide and out of that amount, approximately 1 billion
pounds are used for termite control. Especially in the warmer regions of the world, termites are the major
wood-destroying structural pests and the huge amount of repair costs were spent to suppress wood-
feeding termite. In terms of economic loss, around USD 40 billion has been spent annually on repairing
the destroyed building of wood, forest and other commercial products responsible by termites (The Issue,
2020).
Once plants containing cyanide have been consumed, the toxin rapidly enters the blood stream and is
transported throughout the body of the animal. Cyanide inhibits oxygen utilization by the cells in the
animal’s body. In essence, the animal suffocates (NDSU, 2020). Cyanide, prussic acid and hydrocyanic
acid are all terms describing the same toxic substance. It is one of the most rapidly acting toxins that
affect mammals. Cyanide is a lethal ingredient that has been used in rodent and vermin killers
Cyanide is released from natural substances in some foods and in certain plants such as cassava, lima
beans and almonds. Pits and seeds of common fruits, such as apricots, apples, and peaches, may have
substantial amounts of chemicals which are metabolized to cyanide. Insects also, cyanide inhibits the
terminal oxidase, and it has been shown that in the insect heart cyanide sensitivity is closely associated
with aerobic metabolism

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