Majorenolide and Majorynolide: A New Pair of Cytotoxic and Pesticidal Alkene-Alkyne δ-Lactones from Persea major

Abstract

From the EtOH extract of the bark of Persea major, two bioactive compounds, majorynolide [1] and majorenolide [2], were isolated by activity-directed fractionation using brine shrimp. Their structures have been elucidated on the basis of spectral data as a pair of new alkene-alkyne delta-lactones, each with an exocyclic alkylidene methine carbon. Both 1 and 2 are moderately cytotoxic, and 2 is selectively pesticidal.