Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Simplified Analogues of the Major Corn Strigolactones, Zealactone and Zeapyranolactone

Strigolactones are one of the phytohormones, which have multiple activities on plant growth and development. Since these strigolactone activities are highly associated with crop yield, use of strigolactone could be a promising technology in modern sustainable agriculture. The major strigolactones in corn root exudates have been identified as zealactone 1a/b and zeapyranolactone. We recently disclosed the first total synthesis of zealactone 1a/b together with its biological activity in corn. Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of simplified analogues of both corn-derived strigolactones with their bioavailability in soil and their biological activities. These compounds would be potential leads for the development of synthetic strigolactones for the agronomical use in a more sustainable crop production. image