An examination of the potential “genotoxic” carcinogenicity of a biopesticide derived from the neem tree

Structural analyses of azadirachtin, a promising biopesticide recently introduced into the United States, indicates that this natural product has the potential for acting as a “genotoxic” carcinogen. In view of the fact that genotoxic carcinogens are regarded as presenting a potential carcinogenic risk to humans, the present finding suggests that the possible metabolism of azadirachtin to DNA‐reactive products be evaluated experimentally. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.