Methyl Esters of ()-Cinnamic Acid: Activity against the Plant-Parasitic Nematode and Interaction with Histone Deacetylase.

()-Cinnamaldehyde is very active against but has low persistence in soil. To circumvent this problem, esters of cinnamic acid were evaluated as a substitute for ()-cinnamaldehyde. The best results under assays with second-stage juveniles (J2) were obtained for the methyl esters of ()--fluoro- (), ()--chloro- (), and ()--bromocinnamic acid (), which showed lethal concentrations to 50% (LC) J2 of 168, 95, and 216 μg/mL, respectively. Under the same conditions, the LC values for the nematicides carbofuran and fluensulfone were 160 and 34 μg/mL, respectively. Substances - were also active against nematode eggs, which account for most of the population in the field. According to an study, substances - can act against the nematode through inhibition of histone deacetylase. Therefore, esters - and histone deacetylase are potentially useful for the rational design of new nematicides for the control of .