Insecticidal Properties of Some Metabolites of Jamaican Piper spp., and the Amides Synthesized from 5,6-Z and E-Butenolides of Piper fadyenii

Abstract

Six compounds, Z- and E-fadyenolide (3, 4), l-allyl-2,3-(methylenedioxy)-4,5-dimethoxy-benzene (5), 4-methoxy-3,5-bis (3'-methyl-2'-butenyl)-benzoic acid (6), 2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-dihydrochalcone (7), and 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone (8) were isolated from three species of Jamaican Piper, Piper fadyenii, C.D.C., Piper aduncum L. and Piper hispidum Sw. Three amides (9~11) of 3,5-dimethoxy-4-oxo-5-phenylpent-2-enoic acid using piperidine, pyrrolidine and morpholine, respectively, were synthesized from compounds 3 and 4, and tested for insecticidal activity against the tick Boophilus microplus (Canestrini) and the flour feetle, Tribolium confusum Duval. In our experiment, compounds 9~11 inhibited ovogenesis of B. microplus and were toxic to T. confusum. Compounds 3~8 were found to have no activity. © 1986, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.