Momilactones are allelochemicals in rice and moss defense. Momilactone-like compounds are therefore considered important secondary metabolites for plant defense. They may serve as promising lead compounds for crop-friendly herbicides as well as antifungal and antibacterial agents. Many of these substances possess potent cytotoxicity property against cancer cell lines as well. The present paper is the first review on these versatile molecules, focusing on the structure, biological activity, chemical synthesis, and biosynthesis of the naturally occurring momilactone-like molecules reported from 1973 to 2017.
Keywords: (9β-H)-pimarane; allelochemical; germination inhibitor; momilactone; phytoalexin.