Abstract
Neonicotinoids are the most important class of synthetic insecticides increasingly used in agriculture and veterinary medicine. Fundamental differences between the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) of insects and mammals confer remarkable selectivity of the neonicotinoids at insect nAChR over mammalian nAChR. To identify pharmacophoric requirements of azidopyridinyl neonicotinoids for their efficacy and selectivity towards the insect nAChR over the mammalian one, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study was performed using electrotopological state atom (ETSA) indices. This study clearly showed that nitroimines, nitromethylenes, and cyanoimines are more selective toDrosophilanAChR and safe for human being, whereasN-substituted imines have affinity to mammalian receptor. Pharmacophore mapping for both the activities was done.