The chemicalconstituents of the skin extracts of several nudibranchs have been examined. Extracts of Archidoris montereyensis contain the diterpenoic acid glyceride 20, its two monoacetates 24 and 25, the drimane sesquiterpenoic acid glyceride 26, the monoacetate 28, the monocyclofarnesic acid glyceride 30 and the glyceryl ether 31. Glyceride 20 has also been isolated from extracts of Archidoris odhneri
Synthesis of natural bicyclic and tricyclic diterpenoid diacylglycerols has been performed by regioselective coupling of terpenoid acid with glycerol at 1′-sn position. This method may be considered a general approach to obtain optically active acylglycerols. The preparation of 13C-labelled geranylgeranoic acid glyceryl esters is also described here.