Ethyl-branched aldehydes, ketones, and diketones from caimans (Caiman and Paleosuchus; Crocodylia, Reptilia).

Secretions from the paracloacal glands of alligators (Alligator spp.) and caimans (Caiman spp., Melanosuchus niger, and Paleosuchus spp.) were examined by GC-MS. The secretions of the common caiman (C. crocodilus), the broad-snouted caiman (C. latirostris), the yacare caiman (C. yacare), the dwarf caiman (P. palpebrosus), and the smooth-fronted caiman (P. trigonatus) yielded a new family of 43 aliphatic carbonyl compounds that includes aldehydes, ketones, and beta-diketones with an ethyl branch adjacent to the carbonyl group. The identification of these glandular components and the syntheses and stereochemical investigations of selected compounds are described.