title: Pinoresinol: A lignol of plant origin serving for defense in a caterpillar.
abstract: Pinoresinol, a lignan of wide distribution in plants, is found to occur as a minor component in the defensive secretion produced by glandular hairs of caterpillars of the cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae. The compound or a derivative is appropriated by the larva from its normal food plant (the cabbage, Brassica oleracea). Pinoresinol was shown to be absent from the secretion if the larva was given a cabbage-free diet but present in the effluent if that diet was supplemented with pinoresinol. Pinoresinol is shown to be a feeding deterrent to ants (Formica exsectoides), indicating that it can complement the defensive action of the primary components of the secretion, a set of previously reported lipids called mayolenes. In the test with F. exsectoides, pinoresinol proved to be more potent than concomitantly tested mayolene-16.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: Marta L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: del Campo
authors.forename: Jacqualine B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Douglas B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Weibel
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Smedley
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bolton
authors.forename: Jerrold
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meinwald
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eisner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000378:metabolism; D001937:Brassica / Q000737:chemistry; D002080:Butterflies / Q000196:embryology; D004032:Diet; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006027:Glycosides / Q000737:chemistry; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017705:Lignans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D005663:Furans; D006027:Glycosides; D017705:Lignans; D010936:Plant Extracts; C470898:mayolene-16; C103298:pinoresinol