Possible fatty acyl pheromone precursors in Spodoptera littoralis. Search for 11- and 12-hydroxytetradecanoic acids in the pheromone gland.

Lipid extracts of Spodoptera littoralis pheromone glands submitted to acid methanolysis using: (i) sulfuric acid/methanol/benzene (0.1:4:2, by vol) at 90 degrees C for 1 h; (ii) 12 N HCI/methanol (1:2, vol/vol) at 90 degrees C for 1 h, or (iii) 14% BF3-MeOH at 90 degrees C for 1 h did not reveal the presence of either 11- or 12-hydroxytetradecanoic acid in the extracts, as concluded from the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Under the above methanolysis conditions, a synthetic sample of methyl (14, 14, 14-2H3) 12-hydroxytetradecanoate remained unaltered. These results may indicate that formation of (E)-11-tetradecenoic acid from tetradecanoic acid does not occur in the pheromone gland by dehydration of an intermediate hydroxyacid. Acid methanolysis of a lipidic extract using BF3-MeOH led to the formation of a mixture of methoxy fatty acid methyl esters, identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These methoxy derivatives should arise from BF3-catalyzed addition of methanol to the double bond of the natural monounsaturated fatty acyl derivatives present in the gland. Thus, under the same conditions, a synthetic sample of methyl (Z)-11-tetradecenoate was partially transformed into methyl 11-methoxytetradecanoate and methyl 12-methoxytetradecanoate. This reaction might be a useful alternative procedure to obtain methoxy derivatives of olefins, which are very helpful for the structural characterization of the parent alkenes.