Macrolactones as Chemical Signals Semiochemicals

Chemical substances that act as chemical signals, in several organisms especially in insects, consist of macrolactone structures. These compounds, called as semiochemicals [29], are classified into pheromones and allelochemicals. 

Allelochemicals. These are the chemical signals used in intraspedfic communication causing behavioral response in individuals of the different spedes. 

The chemistry of the natural macrolactones as musk odorants started with the discovery of exaltolide 12 and ambrettolide 13 by Kerschbaum [20] from Angelica root and Ambrette seed oil, respectively. The discovery of these vegetable musk oils stimulated interest in finding their synthetic analogs and synthetic routes because of their commercial importance in the fragrance industry [4j. 

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