title: Secondary metabolites and insecticidal activity of Anemone pavonina.
abstract: The insecticidal properties of the crude extracts of the leaves and flowers of Anemone pavonina were evaluated on Pheidole pallidula ants and showed significant levels of activity. Bioassay-guided fractionations led to the isolation of the butenolide ranunculin (1) as the active principle. Chemical investigations of the extracts showed them to contain as major components the sitosterol glycopyranoside lipids 2-5 and the glycerides 6-8. The structures of the metabolites were elucidated, following acetylation and hydrolysis of the natural products, by interpretation of their NMR and mass spectral data. The uncommon lipid metabolites 2-8 were isolated for the first time from the genus Anemone and this is the first report of insecticidal activity of the Anemone metabolite ranunculin against ants.
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Varitimidis
authors.forename: Panos V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Petrakis
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vagias
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roussis
mesh_terms: D031883:Anemone / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants; D005260:Female; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D007306:Insecticides / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008759:Methylglycosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005663:Furans; D007306:Insecticides; D008759:Methylglycosides; D014020:Tissue Extracts; C039859:ranunculin