Oxo derivatives of pyrazolines and pyrazolidines are important heterocyclic compounds due to their unique biological activities and have been widely applied in pharmaceutical and agromedical fields. In this review, we provide an account of some recent advances in the field of pyrazolone chemistry, specifically on the reported synthesis methods of pyrazolinone (3-oxo-1,2-dihydropyrazole) and 3,5-pyrzolidinediones (3,5-dioxotetrahydropyrazoles) derivatives.

Due to the complicated problems coming from excessive applications of insecticides, searching for safe substitutes to these insecticides has become a necessity. Thus, the insect growth regulators are candidates to be used in such concern. Comparative studies of the effects of three compounds, 2-benzoyl-N-phenylhydrazine-1-carbothioamide (1), 2-(cyanoacetyl)-N-phenylhydrazine-1-carboxamide (2) and N-(2-(2-cyanoacetyl)hydrazinecarbonothioyl)furan-2-carboxamide (3) (an insect growth regulator inhibiting chitin synthesis), were conducted on Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval, 1833). The compounds, orally administered, caused larval mortality proportional to the concentrations in the food source. larvae were unable to complete the molting process and died in the old larval cuticle. Larvae contaminated by sublethal doses completed their development to adulthood. N-(2-(2-cyanoacetyl)hydrazinecarbonothioyl)furan-2-carboxamide (3) is more active than the other compounds have LC50 17.082 ppm for 2nd instar larvae and 60.832 ppm for 4th instar larvae.

Biologically active organic compounds continue to attract great interest due to the wide variety of interesting applications observed for these compounds. This review results from the literature survey containing the organic compounds that are used as insect growth regulators with a focus on their mode of action and some synthetic routes.