title: Identification of new limonoids from Swietenia and their biological activity against insects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural limonoids are one group of compounds being studied for their insecticidal properties. To discover new limonoids with better activities, analogs were prepared via acylation and hydrolysis, and bioassayed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analogs were identified using one- and two-dimensional (COSY, HMQC and HMBC) (1) H and (13) C NMR, IR and MS. 3-O-Isovalerylswietenolide (13) and 3-O-isobutyrylswietenolide (14) showed excellent antifeedant activity, with DC(50) values of 0.19 and 0.009 mg L(-1) respectively, compared with the natural limonoid swietenolide (80.6 mg L(-1) ) against fourth-instar Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) larvae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work shows that limonoid analogs prepared through semi-synthesis can be used as lead compounds for the development of new insecticides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. robert.fowles@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fowles
authors.forename: Baldwin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mootoo
authors.forename: Russel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramsewak
authors.forename: Ayub
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Adesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramsubhag
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Muraleedharan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007300:Insect Control; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D036701:Limonins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029582:Meliaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D036701:Limonins; D010936:Plant Extracts