Fenhexamid (Synonyms: KBR 2738)

Fenhexamid is a fungicide.^1,2 It inhibits germ-tube elongation and mycelial growth of several strains of the plant pathogenic fungus B. cinerea (EC₅₀s = 0.13-8.3 and 0.03-16.5 µM, respectively).¹ Fenhexamid inhibits 3-ketoreductase (IC₅₀ = 3 µM for the B. cinerea enzyme), is an estrogen receptor α (ERα) agonist (EC₅₀ = 9 µM in a yeast reporter assay), and inhibits the androgenic effect of dihydrotestosterone in MDA-kb2 cells (IC₂₀ = 2.02 µM).^1,3,4 It increases the proliferation and migration of BG1 ovarian cancer cells when used at a concentration of 10 µM.⁵ In field studies, fenhexamid applied at 842 g AI/ha provides 27.3 and 13.9% disease control for lettuce drop caused by S. minor or S. sclerotiorum, respectively.² Formulations containing fenhexamid have been used as fungicides in agriculture.

1.Debieu, D., Bach, J., Montesinos, E., et al.Role of sterol 3-ketoreductase sensitivity in susceptibility to the fungicide fenhexamid in Botrytis cinerea and other phytopathogenic fungiPest. Manag. Sci.69(5)642-651(2013) 2.Matheron, M.E., and Porchas, M.Activity of boscalid, fenhexamid, fluazinam, fludioxonil, and vinclozolin on growth of Sclerotinia minor and S. sclerotiorum and development of lettuce dropPlant Dis.88(6)665-668(2004) 3.Teng, Y., Manavalan, T.T., Hu, C., et al.Endocrine disruptors fludioxonil and fenhexamid stimulate miR-21 expression in breast cancer cellsToxicol. Sci.131(1)71-83(2013) 4.Orton, F., Rosivatz, E., Scholze, M., et al.Widely used pesticides with previously unknown endocrine activity revealed as in vitro antiandrogensEnviron. Health Perspect.119(6)794-800(2011) 5.Go, R.-E., Kim, C.-W., and Choi, K.-C.Effect of fenhexamid and cyprodinil on the expression of cell cycle- and metastasis-related genes via an estrogen receptor-dependent pathway in cellular and xenografted ovarian cancer modelsToxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.289(1)48-57(2015)