E X T O X N E T
Extension Toxicology Network
A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of
Cornell University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, and
University of California at Davis. Major support and funding was provided
by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact
Assessment Program.
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Pesticide
Information
Profile
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Ryania
Publication Date: 9/93
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TRADE OR OTHER NAMES
Trade names of this product are Ryanodine and Ryanicide.
INTRODUCTION
Ryania is a botanical insecticide made from the ground stems of Ryania
speciosa, a native plant of tropical America. The principle alkaloid in this
stem extract is ryanodine which makes up 0.16-0.2% of the product. Ryania is
highly toxic to the fruit moth, coddling moth and corn earworm, European corn
borer, and citrus thrips, but it is ineffective against the cabbage maggot,
cauliflower worms or boll weevil.
Ryania is a general use pesticide.
TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ACUTE TOXICITY
Ryania has a very low toxicity to mammals and is labeled with the CAUTION
signal word. At high doses it affects muscles, preventing contractions and
resulting in paralysis (9). Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, weakness
and diarrhea. Rigidity of the muscles and depression of the central nervous
system can lead to a coma and to death.
The rat oral LD50 is 1,200 mg/kg and guinea pigs have an oral LD50 of
2,500 mg/kg and rabbits have 650 mg/kg LD50. Dogs are much more susceptible
with an LD50 of 150 mg/kg. The estimated lowest lethal dose for man is 143
mg/kg. The pure ryanodine alkaloid is 500 to 700 times more toxic than the
crude powder. A 2-5 mg/kg dose of ryanodine elicited symptoms in the frog and
mouse (4). The dermal LD50 for rats is above 2,000 mg/kg. No information is
available on inhalation toxicity.
CHRONIC TOXICITY
Rats and guinea pigs were fed diets containing 1% ryania powder for at
least six months and showed no symptoms. Rats fed 5% diets had weight loss
and some deaths within 25 days (4).
Reproductive Effects
No data was available.
Organ Toxicity
Large doses of ryania powder (around 1,500 mg/kg/day) in the diets of
rats produced hemorrhages in the pancreas and intestines. It also produced
lung complications in the test animals (10).
Fate in Humans and Animals
Single sublethal doses given directly into the vein produced slowly
developing high blood pressure in experimental animals (1). Residues of 6 ppm
on apples were harmless to laboratory animals.
ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Chickens fed for six months on diets of 1% ryania showed no symptoms and
did not have any evidence of cumulative effects (4). Ryania is moderately
toxic to birds and wildfowl. Some LD50 values include: wild birds 1.78
mg/kg; pigeons 2.31 mg/kg; and quail 13.3 mg/kg (8). It is considered
moderately toxic to fish also. The 96-hour LC50 for rainbow trout is 3.2 mg/l
and 18.5 mg/l for bluegill.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
The toxicologically active portion of ryania, ryanodine, is water soluble
but stable during storage and stable upon exposure to light. Ryanodine is not
considered to be poisonous to plants (4).
The major degradation product of ryanodine is anhydroxyanodine (6).
BASIC MANUFACTURER
Progressive Agri-Systems
201 Center St
Stockertown, PA 18083
Telephone: 215/759-5911
Review by Basic Manufacturer:
Comments solicited: May, 1992
Comments received:
REFERENCES
Gosselin, R.E., R.P. Smith and H.C. Hodge. 1984. Clinical Toxicology
of Commercial Products, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD.
Spencer, E.Y. 1981. Guide to the Chemicals Used in Crop Protection.
Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Canadian Government Publishing Centre,
Ottawa, Canada.
Johnson, W.W. and M.T. Finley. 1980. Handbook of Acute Toxicity of
Chemicals to Fish and Aquatic Invertebrates. U.S. Dept of the Interior, Fish
and Wildlife Service, Resource Publication 137.
Negherbon, William O. 1959. Handbook of Toxicology, Volume III:
Insecticides, A Compendium. Div of Biology and Agriculture, National Academy
of Sciences, National Research Council, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia,
PA.
Windholz, Martha. (ed.). 1976. The Merck Index, An Encyclopedia of
Chemicals and Drugs. Merck and Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ.
Crosby, D.R., Chairman. 1966. Natural Pest Control Agents, Advances
in Chemistry Series 53. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC.
Washington State University. 1988. Northwest Pesticide Label
Information Retrieval System, Cooperative Extension, Pullman, WA.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 1985-86.
Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, U.S. Dept of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control.
Ware, George W. 1986. Fundamentals of Pesticides: A self Instruction
Guide. 2nd Edition. Thomson Publications. Fresno, CA.
Kuna, Samuel and Ralph E. Heal. 1948. Toxicological and
Pharmacological Studies on the Powdered Stem of Ryania Speciosa, A plant
insecticide. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimantal Therapeutics. Vol
93:407-413.
Disclaimer: Please read
the pesticide label prior to use. The information contained at this web
site is not a substitute for a pesticide label. Trade names used herein
are for convenience only; no endorsement of products is intended, nor is
criticism of unnamed products implied. Most of this information is historical
in nature and may no longer be applicable.
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