Seven kinds of

-methylene-

-lactones with an alkyl group at the C-4 position were synthesizedaccording to a previously described method, with yields of 28-34%. These

-methylene-

-lactoneshad characteristic and unique odors. All

-methylene-

-lactones added a roast-like odor to materials.The antimicrobial effects of

-methylene-

-lactones were investigated by using a paper disk diffusionmethod. The results showed the

-methylene-

-lactones inhibited the growth of three bacteria(
Staphylococcus aureus,
Escherichia coli, and
Pseudomonas fluorescens) and two fungi (
Saccharomyces cerevisiae and
Aspergillus niger)
. In particular,

-methylene-

-undecalactone and

-methylene-

-dodecalactone exhibited potent inhibition of the growth of these microorganisms compared to butyl
p-hydroxybenzoate as standard antibiotic. The
umu test revealed that the

-methylene-

-lactonessuppressed the SOS-inducing activity of three mutagens, furylfuramide, UV irradiation, and Trp-P-1, respectively. The antimicrobial effects and the suppressive effects of SOS induction by

-methylene-

-lactones had a tendency to intensify as the number of carbons in the side chainincreased.Keywords:

-Methylene-

-lactones; odor; antimicrobial activity; SOD-like activity; umu test