SESQUITERPENES OF LACTARIUS ORIGIN, ANTIFEEDANT STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY-RELATIONSHIPS

Antifeedant activity of 53 sesquiterpenes of Lactarius origin was measured against the storage pests Tribolium confusum, Trogoderma granarium and Sitophilus granarius. The activities of the compounds are discussed in relation to their structures and oxidation state. Conclusions concerning structure-activity relationships have been drawn. It was found that compounds with lactarane and marasmane skeletons were more active than isolactaranes. Also an increasing number of hydroxyl groups present in a molecule decreased its activity. Generally compounds of natural origin, with the exception of keto derivatives, possessed stronger activity than their chemically modified analogues.