"Alpha"-, "beta"- and "delta"-anhydrodigitoxigenin

The syntheses of 3β-hydroxy-5β-carda-14, 20:22-dienolide (= «β»-anhydro-), 3β-hydroxy-5β-carda-8:14, 20:22-dienolide (= «α»-anhydro-) and «δ»-anhydro-digitoxigenin (= probably 3β-hydroxy-5β, 14β-carda-8, 20:22-dienolide) by the best ways known to date, have been described. «δ»-Anhydro-digitoxigenin represents the thermodynamically most stable isomer. In this isomer the double bond in position 8 is unaffected by hydrogenation with Pt in acetic acid; with perbenzoic acid an epoxide results from which, on hydrogenation, the double bond can be regenerated in its original position. Analogous reactions are known to occur in the 8:14-epoxides.