Relationship between the chemical structure and pharmacological action of cardiac glycosides of the strophanthidin series

The possibility has been shown of finding and creating highly effective cardiotonic drugs for pediatric practice on the basis of cardenolides obtained by the chemical transformation of natural cardiac glycosides.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, fax (3712) 89 14 75. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 581–585, July–August, 1995. Original article submitted November 21, 1994.     

Total synthesis of 4-F3t-neuroprostane and its 4-epimer

The first synthesis of 4-F_3t-Neuroprostane 1a and its 4-epimer is described. This molecule presents an important contribution to the study of neuronal oxidative stress in DHA-ω3 depleted brain. The key step involves the introduction of two unsaturated side chains into the chiral polyfunctional cyclopentane 4 via E selective HWE reaction and Z selective Wittig olefination for α and ω chains, respectively.     

Synthesis of 3-deoxy-3,3-difluoroshikimic acid and its 4-epimer from quinic acid

3-Deoxy-3,3-difluoroshikimic acid 2 and its 4-epimer 3 as new analogues of shikimic acid have been synthesised from quinic acid in overall yields of 30% and 12%, respectively.     

A total synthesis of (+)-preussin and its 5-epimer

(+)-Preussin (1) and its 5-epimer were synthesized from the divmylcarbmol (3) with Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of 3 and the oxidative cyclization of 9 with PDC as the key steps     

Phenolic glycosides of Juncus acutus and its anti-eczematic activity

The total alcohol extract of Juncus acutus L. showed significant anti-eczematic activity. The isolation of the five phenolic glycosides which responsible for this activity were isolated and identified as oxyresveratrol 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), resveratrol 3′,4′-O,O′-di-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), markhamioside F (3), canthoside B (4), and caffeic acid glucorhamnoside (5). The toxic effect of the alcohol extract of the plant was studied on mice to determine their LD₅₀, which proved to be nontoxic up to 3000 mg/kg body weight. The anti-eczematic activity of the isolated compounds was tested in mice and showed variable effect. Compounds 3 and 4 were found to have the highest activity; they cured eczema by 90 and 100% respectively. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 125–127, March–April, 2006.     

Total synthesis of mycestericin A and its 14-epimer

The total synthesis of mycestericin A (1) and its 14-epimer 34 is described herein. The Overman rearrangement of an allylic trichloroacetimidate derived from l-tartrate generated a tetra-substituted carbon with nitrogen and subsequent stereoselective transformations afforded the highly functionalized left-half segment, vinyl iodide. Cross-coupling of the vinyl iodide with a chiral organometallic species synthesized from d-tartrate under the Negishi or Suzuki-Miyaura coupling conditions, followed by deprotection, completed the total synthesis of 1. The 14-epimer of mycestericin A was also synthesized, and a comparison of [α]_D values of peracetyl γ-lactone derivatives of mycestericin A and its 14-epimer as well as degradation studies of 1 and 34 fully confirmed the proposed absolute structure of mycestericin A.     

N-isobutyloxycarbonylation for improved detection of 3'-hydroxystanozolol and its 17-epimer in doping control

An improved screening method was developed for 3'-hydroxystanozolol and its 17-epimer in human urine involving gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with N-isobutyloxycarbonyl (isoBOC) and O-trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatization. A procedure was reported previously for the pentane extraction of many steroids from urine in doping control, but it was not suitable for the detection of stanozolol metabolites. Compared with the n-pentane extraction method, which gave a poor recovery (< 10%), isoBOC extraction resulted in a good recovery (> 80%). The sensitivity and specificity of mixed N-isoBOC-O-TMS derivatization were adequate for the detection of 3'-hydroxystanozolol and its 17-epimer when 3 ml of urine was used with spiking at a level of 2 ng ml-1. When applied to a stanozolol-positive urine sample, the proposed method allowed rapid and sensitive screening for the detection of 3'-hydroxystanozolol and its 17-epimer.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (+)-boronolide and its 8-epimer

Starting from readily available carbohydrates the synthesis of 8-epi-(+)-boronolide 19 and (+)-boronolide was achieved with diastereoselective propargylation of alpha-oxygenated aldehyde as a key step.     

A simple synthesis of 6-deoxoteasterone and its 20-epimer

6-Deoxoteasterone, a brassinolide biosynthetic intermediate, and its 20-epimer were synthesized from steroidal 17-olefin and chiral α-alkoxyaldehyde using a Lewis acid mediated carbonyl-ene reaction as the key step. In this reaction, unusual stereoselectivity was observed.     

Total synthesis of lycoperdic acid and its C4-epimer

Efficient stereodivergent syntheses of (+)-lycoperdic acid (LPA) and 4-epi-LPA have been achieved based on asymmetric hydrogenation (H₂, Rh/(R,S)-MeBoPhoz) of racemic enamide as a key step.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (+)-passifloricin A and its 6-epimer

Stereoselective total syntheses of the antiprotozoal natural product (+)-passifloricin A and its C-6 epimer have been achieved in ～5% overall yield. The strategy is based on Jacobsen epoxidation, Grubbs’ metathesis and an Evans’ intramolecular oxa-Michael reaction.     

Correlations between chemical structure and k-value in the TLC of epimeric 3-ethinyl-3-cholestanoles

The chromatographic behaviour of TLC on silica gel of 3 pairs of epimeric 3-ethinyl-3-cholestanoles is described. It is found that the k-values of this class of compounds are predominantly influenced by the stereochemical orientation of the hydroxyl group. 3-Ethinyl-3-cholestanoles with β-configuration of the hydroxyl group have larger k-values than their α-oriented epimers.     

Total synthesis of natural (+)-membrenone C and its 7-epimer

Highly stereoselective asymmetric total syntheses of the polypropionate marine defense substance (+)-membrenone C and its 7-epimer have been achieved. Highlights of the strategy include the utilization of a desymmetrization technique to create five contiguous chiral centres from a single bicyclic precursor.     

First total synthesis of parvistone C and its C8-epimer

Diastereoselective first total synthesis of parvistone C 1 and C8-epimer 1a are described. The key features of our synthesis include Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, stereoselective aryl Grignard reactions, Still–Gennari olefination, and intramolecular cyclization.     

Diastereoselective syntheses of deoxydysibetaine, dysibetaine, and its 4-epimer

(+/-)-Deoxydysibetaine 2 and 4-epi-dysibetaine 3 were prepared in a few steps from methyl pyroglutamate through a regioselective Mannich reaction at C-2. Natural (2S,4S)-dysibetaine 1, a sponge metabolite isolated from Dysidea herbacea, and (2S)-2 were synthesized from enantiopure (S)-pyroglutaminol with very high stereoselectivity. The key steps were an original formation of stereogenic quaternary center C-2 and the diastereoselective hydroxylation at C-4.