Pii: S0926-6690(00)00074-1

Simmondsin and its analogues, demethyl-, didemethylsimmondsins (DMS/DDMS) and the 2%and 3%-simmondsin ferulates are components isolable from jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) seed meal. While the parent compound, simmondsin, is reported to exhibit anorexic properties, its demethylated analogues not only lack this behavior, they also have no identifiable market value. To create optimum utilization of these by-products, the goal of this research project was to chemically functionalize DMS and DDMS thereby transforming them to materials having economic potential. Thus using the intrinsic chemical properties of the olefin groups in DMS, simmondsin oxide analogues have been generated. It is expected these simmondsin oxiranes would provide platforms for expanding utilization of the otherwise waste materials of jojoba seed meal processing. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.