C₁₈ acetylenic fatty acids of Ximenia americana with potential pesticidal activity

Bioactivity-driven fractionation of the CHCl₃ extract of the root of Ximenia americana, using the brine shrimp lethality test (BST) and hatchability test with Clavigralla tomentosicollis eggs, gave C₁₈ acetylenic fatty acids 1 and 2.1 is octadeca-5-ynoic acid (tariric acid). 2 is a novel ene-ene-yne-ene acetylenic fatty acid (10Z, 14E, 16E-octadeca- 10,14,16-triene-12-ynoic acid). The structures of 1 and 2 were assigned from the MS and NMR data. Fractions that are rich in acetylenic fatty acids inhibited the hatching of C. tomentosicollis eggs.