Total synthesis of hybocarpone and analogues thereof. A facile dimerization of naphthazarins to pentacyclic systems

The total synthesis of the lichen-derived antitumor agent hybocarpone (1) and related compounds is described. The successful route to hybocarpone features a novel radical-based dimerization/hydration cascade which generates the bridging hindered carbon-carbon bond of the molecule in a stereocontrolled manner, setting the relative configurations of the four contiguous stereocenters in a single step. The conjecture is made that this process may not be so dissimilar to the biosynthetic pathway leading to the formation of hybocarpone in nature. The developed sequence to these molecular frameworks also features the first example of a synthetically useful Diels-Alder trapping of a photochemically generated hydroxy-o-quinodimethane species with a 1,1-disubstituted olefin to form a quaternary center, and includes an efficient route to hydroxynaphthoquinone-type structures represented by the monomeric subunit of the natural product.     

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of (-)apicularen A and analogues thereof

Apicularen A (1) and related benzolactone acylenamines belong to a growing class of novel natural products possessing highly cytotoxic properties. The challenging structure of 1 includes a 10-membered macrolactone ring, a tetrahydropyran system, an o,m-substituted phenol and a doubly unsaturated acyl group attached on the side chain enamine functionality. The total synthesis of apicularen A described herein involves a strategy equivalent to its proposed biosynthesis and entails a reiterative two-step procedure featuring allylation and ozonolytic cleavage to grow the molecule's chain by one acetate unit at a time. The developed synthetic technology was applied to the construction of a series of apicularen A analogues whose biological evaluation established a set of structure-activity relationships in this new area of potential importance in cancer chemotherapy.     

Photochemical generation and trapping of radicals from bisphenyl carbodiazone

UV irradiation at 350 nm of bisphenyl carbodiazone creates nitrogen, phenyl and (phenyldiazenyl)carbonyl radicals under mild conditions. The radicals formed were trapped by olefins and tetramethylpiperidinoxyl radicals.     

Total synthesis, revised structure, and biological evaluation of biyouyanagin A and analogues thereof

Isolated from Hypericum species H. chinese L. var. salicifolium, biyouyanagin A was assigned structure 1a or 1b on the basis of NMR spectroscopic analysis. This novel natural product exhibited significant anti-HIV properties and inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production. Described herein are the total syntheses of biyouyanagin A and several analogues (3-11), structural revision of biyouyanagin A to 2b, and the biological properties of all synthesized compounds. The total synthesis proceeded through cascade sequences that efficiently produced enantiomerically pure key building blocks 15b (ent-zingiberene) and 18 (hyperolactone C) and featured a novel [2 + 2] photoinduced cycloaddition reaction which occurred with complete regio- and stereoselectivity. Biological investigations with the synthesized biyouyangagins A (2-11) and hyperolactones C (12-16) revealed that the activity of biyouyanagin A most likely resides in its hyperolactone C structural domain.     

Total synthesis of maesanin and analogues

An efficient total synthesis of maesanin and related quinones is reported, through direct alkylation of 1,2,4,5-tetramethoxybenzene with alkylbromides, followed by oxidation with ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) which provokes formation of the quinone and deprotection of the more hindered methyl ether in one step, to furnish the desired 2-hydroxy-5-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinones 1a-h.     

Total synthesis of exochelin MN and analogues

The first total synthesis of exochelin MN is described along with rationally designed analogues. The required L-threo-beta-hydroxyamino acid components were constructed using either Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation reactions or an aldol reaction of imidazolidinone 19. A new concise procedure for the preparation of the constituent six-membered cyclic hydroxamate was developed. In addition, a plausible mechanism for exochelin MN-mediated iron(III) transport was proposed. Biological studies of these compounds will be used to evaluate this hypothesis.     

Total synthesis of malayamycin A and analogues

The total synthesis of the bicyclic C-nucleoside malayamycin A is described starting with d-ribonolactone. A new method was developed to obtain preparatively important quantities of β-pseudouridine, which was used as an intermediate. The synthesis of a carba N-nucleoside analogue of malayamycin A is also described.     

Total synthesis of (+)-cassaine via transannular Diels-Alder reaction

A full account of the total synthesis of (+)-cassaine ( 1) using the transannular Diels-Alder (TADA) reaction as the pivotal construction is described. The strategy began from Evans' oxazolidine 8, the only chiral source used for the total stereochemical outcome of the target molecule. The key intermediate 3 was obtained from 8 in 10 steps in 40% overall yield. Following extensive optimization, the coupling of 3 on both ends with another densely functional partner 2 followed by TADA reaction on macrocycle 4 cleanly furnished the tricycle 5. The stereochemical outcome in 5 was expected via a least-energetic transition state T4. A stereoselective reduction, hydroboration, and methyl cuprate 1,4-addition along with a few other functional interconversions transformed 5 into the key intermediate 37. Final tethering of dimethylaminoethyloxycarbonyl along with epimerization at C8 and alcohol deprotection at C3 yielded the natural product 1.     

外消旋Euphraticol及其类似物的全合成

研究了外湖旋euphraticol及其类似物的全合成。可成为松香烷二萜的新的有效合成路线。关键步骤是烯醇醚与螺[1,3-苯并间二氧环戊烯-2,1'-环己烷]类的碘化物在HMPA存在时的烷基化反应。     

Total synthesis of suaveoline and norsuaveoline via intramolecular oxazole-olefin Diels-Alder reaction

Total synthesis of two Rauwolfia alkaloids, suaveoline (1) and norsuaveoline (2), has been achieved through a highly stereoselective route starting from l-tryptophan methyl ester (9) and exploiting the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of the oxazole-olefin 16.     

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of verticipyrone and analogues

[reaction: see text] Total synthesis of verticipyrone, a novel NADH-fumarate reductase inhibitor, has been accomplished by a convergent approach using novel "Reverse Julia olefination" method. During total synthetic studies, we also prepared and evaluated several synthetic verticipyrone analogues, some of which exhibited more potent antiparasitic activity than the natural verticipyrone.     

Total synthesis and cytotoxicity of bisebromoamide and its analogues

A highly convergent route for assembling bisebromoamide, its stereoisomers and a simplified analogue has been accomplished, which features connecting its left part and right part via thiazoline ring formation at the final stage. Preliminary biological studies revealed that compounds with both proposed and revised structures, and a simplified analogue have similar potency against the proliferation of HeLa S₃ cell, indicating that the stereochemistry of methylthiazoline part, and methyl group at the 4-methylproline residue in bisebromoamide, have limited influence on its cytotoxicity.     

Total synthesis and biological activity of neopeltolide and analogues

Combining the core structure of neopeltolide, lactone 16 a, with the oxazole-containing side chain 23 via a Mitsunobu reaction provided the cytotoxic natural product neopeltolide (2). The side chain 23 was prepared from oxazolone 24 via the corresponding triflate. Key steps in the preparation of 23 were a Sonogashira coupling, an enamine alkylation, and a Still-Gennari Horner-Emmons reaction. By changing the Leighton reagent in the allylation step, the 11-epimer of lactone 16 a, compound 50 was prepared. This led to 11-epi-neopeltolide 51. The 5-epimer of neopeltolide, compound 52, could be obtained from the minor isomer of the Prins cyclization. Furthermore, a range of analogues with modifications in the side chain were prepared. All derivatives were checked for toxicity effects on mammalian cell cultures and inhibitory effects on NADH oxidation in submitochondrial particles of bovine heart. Modifications in the lactone part are tolerated to some degree. On the other hand, shortening the distance between the oxazole and the lactone causes a significant drop in activity. Analogue 65 with an additional double bond is equally or even more active than neopeltolide itself.     

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of tamandarin B analogues

Tamandarins A and B are a class of marine natural cyclodepsipeptides with structures and biological activities closely related to those of the didemnins. The easier synthetic access to tamandarins accelerates the preparation of new macrocyclic derivatives of this family of antitumor, antiviral, and immunosuppressive compounds. The optimization of the previously reported synthetic route to tamandarins by changing the macrolactamization site from Nst1 and Thr6 to Pro4 and N,O-Me2Tyr5 residues led to a significant improvement in the reaction yield. Using this new synthetic approach, four new macrocyclic analogues of tamandarin B were prepared and evaluated for anticancer activity. These results provide further insight into the structure-activity relationship of the tamandarins and didemnins.     

Total synthesis of luotonin A and 14-substituted analogues

A new and concise synthesis of luotonin A was achieved from the previously described compounds ethyl 4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-carboxylate and 1-(2-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one. New 14-substituted luotonin A analogues were prepared using 14-chloroluotonin A as the key intermediate.     

Total synthesis of ibogaine,epiibogaine and their analogues

Efficient total synthesis of ibogaine, epiibogaine and their analogues has been described. An intramolecular reductive-Heck type cyclization was used for the construction of seven-membered indoloazepine ring to access iboga-skeleton. Larock’s heteroannulation reaction was employed for the creation of suitably substituted indole and Diels–Alder reaction was employed for the construction of the isoquinuclidine ring present in iboga alkaloids.