Termiticidal substances from the wood and bark of Wikstroemia retusa A. Gray

Termiticidal substances from the wood and bark of Wikstroemia retusa A. Gra y growing indigenously in Okinawa were examined by a termite test. The term iticidal compounds which have a daphnane skeleton were isolated and identif ied. The compound 1 and the compound 2 were huratoxin and 12 beta-acetoxy-h uratoxin, respectively. The compound 3 was found to be homologous to 2, hav ing one methylene side chain longer than 2. The compound 4 was macrocyclic in structure with benzoyl. located at C-3. Three other termiticidal substan ces were also isolated from the bark of W. retusa and identified. The compo und 5 was found to be homologous to 1 with macrocyclic structure, The compo und 6 was homologous to 5 with benzoyl located at C-18. The compound 7 was homologous to 6 with palmitic acid located at C-20. These compounds except 1 were new compounds. Among these substances, the one exhibiting the highes t termiticidal activity was the compound 2.