Insecticidal activity of sesquiterpenes skeleton synthesized by the conventional Robinson annulations reaction on Drosophila melanogaster

This work presents the insecticidal activity of known sesquiterpenes with eudesmane skeleton synthesized by the conventional Robinson annulations reaction using dihydrocarvone and ethylvinylketone. The insecticidal activity was assayed against Drosophila melanogaster.

► Sesquiterpenes with eudesmane skeleton were synthesized by conventional Robinson annulations.
► The insecticidal activity was assayed against Drosophila melanogaster.
► Compound 2, which had the lowest LD50 (8.3 μmol/mL), exhibited 70% mortality at 24 h.
► The compound 5 showed a 100% mortality at the 72 h with a concentration of 37.6 μmol/mL.
► This work represents another step towards the generation of CH oxidation in the sesquiterpene eudesmane-type synthesis.