Synthesis of pennogenyl saponin analogs using three methods

The synthesis of pennogenyl saponins and related compounds using three popular methods of glycosylation has been reported for the first time. Glycosyl halides, glycosyl trichloroacetimidates, and thioglycosides were used as glycosyl donors in the reactions with pennogenin as the glycosyl acceptor. The reactions occur selectively with the C(3)OH group due to the difference in steric accessibility of the hydroxyl groups at the C(3) and C(17) atoms of pennogenin. This makes it possible to synthesize a series of pennogenyl saponins without C(17)OH group protection. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1789–1792, October, 2006.