Highly stereoselective iodolactonization of 4,5-allenoic acids--an efficient synthesis of 5-(1'-iodo-1'(Z)-alkenyl)-4,5-dihydro-2(3H)-furanones

In this paper, it is reported that the efficient iodolactonization of 4,5-allenoic acid with I2 in cyclohexane in the presence or absence of K2CO3 afforded 5-(1'-iodo-1'(Z)-alkenyl)-4,5-dihydro-2(3H)-furanones highly stereoselectively. However, the reaction of axially optically active 4,5-allenoic acids (R)-(-)-5 a and (R)-(-)-5 b with I2 afforded the corresponding products with a serious loss of chirality. This problem was solved by conducting the iodolactonization with N-iodosuccinimide in CH2Cl2 in the presence of Cs2CO3; however, the Z/E selectivity is somewhat lower. The pure optically active Z products were prepared by subsequent kinetic resolution with Sonogashira coupling. The reaction of the substrates with a substituent at the 3-position of the starting 4,5-allenoic acids afforded the trans-4,5-disubstituted gamma-butyrolactones as the only products. The reaction of the 4,5-allenoic acids (S)-(+)-1 l, (R)-(-)-1 l, and (S)-(+)-1 m with a center chirality at the 3-position afforded the trans products with very high enantiopurity and up to 98:2 Z/E selectivity regardless of the axial chirality of the allene moiety.     

Two New Triterpene Lactones from the Stems of Kadsura polysperma

Two new triterpene lactones, polysperlactones A ( 2 ) and B ( 3 ), were isolated from the stems of Kadsura polysperma, together with the known compounds heteroclitalactone D ( 1 ) and schisanlactone E ( 4 ). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 2D‐NMR and HR‐MS techniques. The configuration of 1 was confirmed by X‐ray analysis. Compounds 2 and 3 are members of a rare class of 3,4‐secolanostane metabolites with ring‐expanded or cyclized structures, respectively.     

Rapid and scalable synthesis of chiral bromolactones as precursors to α-exo-methylene-γ-butyrolactone-containing sesquiterpene lactones

The sesquiterpene lactones cover a diverse and pharmacologically important diversity space. In particular, the electrophilic α-exo-methylene-γ-butyrolactone moiety that is preponderant in this natural product family has been shown to readily engage in covalent inhibition via conjugate addition of cysteine residues in target proteins. However, the synthetic accessibility of sesquiterpenes or related probes to investigate their mode of action remains laborious. Herein, we present a rapid and scalable route to chiral bromolactones as enabling precursors in the synthesis of sesquiterpene lactones.     

HOMO活化的2-吡喃酮与2,5-二烯酮反电子需求的不对称Diels-Alder反应

2-吡喃酮的不对称Diels-Alder（DA）反应可以高效、高立体选择性地构建多官能团化的双环内酯手性骨架.目前贫电子的2-吡喃酮多依赖于手性Lewis酸通过降低LUMO能量与富电子烯烃发生反电子需求环加成反应,活化机制相对单一,因此发展新的活化模式合成此类骨架尤为重要.报道了在金鸡纳碱衍生的伯胺作用下,环状2,5-二烯酮能形成延伸型三烯胺中间体,从而活化远端δ,e-双键,与3-甲氧羰基-2-吡喃酮发生反电子需求不对称DA反应.该方法能够以中等到良好的收率（46%～82%）、优异立体选择性（93%～99%ee,>19∶1 dr）高效构建含有多个连续手性中心的双环内酯化合物.通过内酯醇解开环,能高收率进一步转化为手性环己烯醇化合物.我们发展的经HOMO活化的不对称反电子需求DA反应可以为构建手性双环内酯骨架提供一种较为实用的新方法.     

Stereo‐ and Regioselective Synthesis of Tricyclic Spirolactones by Diastereoisomeric Differentiation of a Collective Key Precursor

A general, parallel, and collective synthesis of 5/5/5‐ and 5/5/6‐ring fusion topologies of tricyclic spiranoid lactones through the controlled cyclizations of easily accessible, common key precursors is described. The rapid composition of key cycloalkyl methylene precursors yielded an assembly of bicyclic diastereoisomeric iodolactones, which were individually converted into a wide range of tricyclic, angularly fused spiranoid lactones in a regioselective and stereodirected fashion through the diastereoisomeric differentiation of a collective key precursor. The critical stereochemical assignment of the bicyclic starting materials, as well as the tricyclic targets, was confirmed by X‐ray crystal structure determination.     

Mycoestrogen determination in cow milk: Magnetic solid‐phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis

Recently, magnetic solid‐phase extraction has gained interest because it presents various operational advantages over classical solid‐phase extraction. Furthermore, magnetic nanoparticles are easy to prepare, and various materials can be used in their synthesis. In the literature, there are only few studies on the determination of mycoestrogens in milk, although their carryover in milk has occurred. In this work, we wanted to develop the first (to the best of our knowledge) magnetic solid‐phase extraction protocol for six mycoestrogens from milk, followed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Magnetic graphitized carbon black was chosen as the adsorbent, as this carbonaceous material, which is very different from the most diffuse graphene and carbon nanotubes, had already shown selectivity towards estrogenic compounds in milk. The graphitized carbon black was decorated with Fe₃O₄, which was confirmed by the characterization analyses. A milk deproteinization step was avoided, using only a suitable dilution in phosphate buffer as sample pretreatment. The overall process efficiency ranged between 52 and 102%, whereas the matrix effect considered as signal suppression was below 33% for all the analytes even at the lowest spiking level. The obtained method limits of quantification were below those of other published methods that employ classical solid‐phase extraction protocols.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Inverse‐Electron‐Demand 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of C,N‐Cyclic Azomethine Imines with Azlactones: Access to Chiral Tricyclic Tetrahydroisoquinolines

Reported herein is a bifunctional‐organocatalyst‐mediated enantioselective inverse‐electron‐demand 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of C,N‐cyclic azomethine imines with azlactones. The strategy provides concise access to enantioenriched C1‐substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines featuring a pyrazolidinone scaffold. Moreover, the scalability and practical utility of this protocol was well demonstrated by employing a gram‐scale reaction and some representative transformations.     

Three Novel Eremophilanolides from Ligularia virgaurea spp. oligocephala

From the alcoholic extract of the whole plant of Ligularia virgaurea spp. oligocephala, three novel eremophilane sesquiterpene lactones, 6α, 10α-dihydroxy- 1-oxoeremophila-7(11), 8(9)-dien-8, 12-olide, 613, 10α-dihydroxy-1-oxoeremophila-7 (ll), 8 (9)-dien-8, 12-olide and 10α-hydroxy-1-oxoeremophila-7(l 1), 8(9)-dien-8, 12-olide were isolated. Their structures were elucidated by various spectroscopic methods including intensive 2D NMR techniques (COSY,HMQC, HMBC and ^1H-^1H NOESY) and HR-MS.