Bioactive polychlorinated bibenzyls from the liverwort Riccardia polyclada

GC-MS and (1)H NMR spectroscopic profiling of a CDCl 3 extract of the liverwort Riccardia polyclada (syn. R. umbrosa) revealed the presence of four main compounds bearing several chlorine atoms on a bibenzyl skeleton. Separation of a CH 2Cl 2 extract was achieved using preparative TLC, and structures 1- 4 were proposed on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Compounds 1- 4 were active in a brine shrimp lethality bioassay ( Artemia salina). In addition, 2 and 4 displayed moderate antifeedant activity in disk-choice bioassays with Spodoptera littoralis larvae and inhibited the growth of Cladosporium herbarum cultures on TLC plates.