Enzymatic Synthesis of 1,4-di-α-d-Glucosyl-l-sorbose and 1-α-Iso-maltosyl-l-sorbose

Several new methylenedioxyphenyl (MDP) ethers were synthesised from sesamol and methoxy substituted sesamols and screened as pyrethrum synergists. In general, the synergistic activity increased with the methoxyl substituents and decreased in the corresponding alkenyl analogs. The synergistic activity of alkyl ethers was found to vary with the alkyl chain, n-propyl ethers showing the maximum. In the case of alkenyl ethers, the activity followed the order γ,γ-dimethyl allyl>β-methallyl > allyl and showed no correlation between R_m and synergistic activity.