Total synthesis of (−)-vitrenal and its biological activity

(−)-Vitrenal, the enantiomer of a natural sesquiterpene aldehyde isolated from a liverwort, has been synthesized starting from (+)-Δ³-carene, and its activity as a plant-growth regulator has been tested.     

Total synthesis and cytotoxicity of (−)-jorumycin and its analogues

(?)-Jorumycin and its 15 C-22 analogues were prepared employing l-tyrosine as the chiral starting material via 21 steps. These analogues, along with (?)-jorumycin itself, were evaluated in vitro for cytotoxicity against HCT-8, BEL-7402, Ketr3, A2780, MCF-7, A549, BGC-823, Hela, HELF, and KB cells. The IC₅₀ values of the cytotoxicity of most of these analogs were at the level of nM, which was similar to that of (?)-jorumycin. Among these analogs including (?)-jorumycin, hippuric acid ester derivative 23 exhibited the most potent and broad-spectrum cytotoxic activity against the ten cell lines with an average IC₅₀ of 2.12 nM.     

Total synthesis of (−) verbenalol and (−) epiverbenalol

The first asymmetric synthesis of (−) verbenalol and (−) epiverbenalol, starting from the organometallic complex (−) 1, is described.     

Total synthesis of (−)-synrotolide and the evaluation of its antiproliferative activity

The stereoselective synthesis of (−)-synrotolide was achieved in high overall yield from d-(−)-ribose and 3-butyn-1-ol. The pivotal step in this approach is the selective deprotection of the acetonide group in the presence of acetate groups using TiCl₄. Moreover, the biological activity of (−)-synrotolide was evaluated on HeLa, PANC 1, HepG2, and SK-N-SH cancer cell lines. The (−)-synrotolide selectively and potently inhibited the growth of PANC 1 cell line.     

Total synthesis of (−)-renieramycin G from l-tyrosine

(?)-Renieramycin G was synthesized in 21 steps for the longest linear sequences employing l-tyrosine methyl ester as the chiral starting material in 8.5% overall yield. Two of the four chiral centers came from l-tyrosine methyl ester, and the other two were induced through an intermolecular and an intramolecular Pictet–Spengler reaction, respectively.     

Total synthesis of (−)-phaeosphaeride B by a biomimetic conversion from (−)-phaeosphaeride A

We have accomplished the first total synthesis of STAT3 inhibitory (?)-phaeosphaeride A and its stereoisomer (?)-phaeosphaeride B. This work confirms the configurational assignment of these natural products. Notably, TFA-mediated dehydrative stereoinversion of phaeosphaeride A afforded phaeosphaeride B, based on our hypothesis of the biosynthesis mechanism of phaeosphaeride B from phaeosphaeride A.     

Total synthesis of Yingzhaosu B and its three diastereoisomers

Yingzhaosu B (1), coexisting with Yingzhaosu A (2) which is an antimalarialprinciple in the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Yingzhao (Artabotrys uncina-tus (L.) Merr.), is a polyhydroxy bisabolene compound. Although its structure wasproposed by Liang and coworkers in 1979, the stereochemistry remained unsettled.From biogenetic viewpoint, it is reasonable to assume that the configuration of 4-Cin Yingzhaosu B is S as that in Yingzhaosu A. Recently, the synthesis of degrada     

Total synthesis of (−)-lentiginosine

A simple and practical synthesis of (−)-lentiginosine 2 with good overall yield has been achieved from the commercially available diethyl d-tartarate. The key steps are a highly stereoselective Grignard reaction on an aldehyde and a Staudinger reduction.     

Total synthesis of (−)-vindoline

In this full paper, a stereocontrolled strategy for the total synthesis of (?)-vindoline is described. This synthetic route features: 1) rapid construction of the stereochemical center at C19 through a highly diastereoselective vinylogous Mannich addition; 2) tandem Heathcock/aza-Prins cyclization to install rings C and E in vindoline; 3) oxidative transformation of β-ketoester to enone; 4) stereoselective inversion of C4 stereochemistry with triphenylphosphine and carbon tetrabromide followed by Brønsted acid.     

Total synthesis of (−)-isoaltholactone

A short and efficient stereoselective synthesis of a styryllactone (-)-isoaltholactone has been achieved in seven steps and 33% overall yield, starting from the readily available carbohydrate D-mannose. The key steps of our synthesis involve intramolecular tetrahydrofuran cyclization and one-pot acetonide deprotection-lactonization.     

Total synthesis of (−)-haploscleridamine

Asymmetric total synthesis of the imidazole containing β-carboline natural product, haploscleridamine, from histidine is described. Key to the successful assembly of this alkaloid is a ring-closing metathesis reaction of an imidazole derived allylic alcohol to construct a 3-piperidinone. Application of the Buchwald-modification of the classical Fischer indolization and deprotection of the N-tosyl moiety delivered haploscleridamine.     

Total synthesis of (−)-seimatopolide A

The total synthesis of (?)-seimatopolide A is described in a linear fashion with high yielding steps. The key reactions include Lu’s isomerization, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and Kita’s macrolactonization.     

Total synthesis of (+)-piericidin A1 and (−)-piericidin B1

The convergent syntheses of (+)-piericidin A₁ 1 and (?)-piericidin B₁ 2 have been achieved based on classical Julia-Lythgoe olefination between 4-hydroxy-5,6-dimethoxy-3-methyl-2-[5-oxo-3-methyl-pent-(2E)-enyl]-pyridine 3 corresponding to the left half of the final molecule, and chiral phenyl sulfones, (4R,5R)-2,4,6-trimethyl-5-methoxy-1-phenylsulfonyl-octa-(2E,6E)-diene 20 and (4R,5R)-5-tert-butyldimethylsiloxy-2,4,6-trimethyl-1-phenylsulfonyl-octa-(2E,6E)-diene 33, corresponding to the right halves. The construction of the two stereogenic centers in the right half of piericidins was achieved based on lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of methyl (2,3)-anti-3-acetoxy-2,4-dimethyl-hex-(4E)-enoate (±)-22.     

Total synthesis of (−) altholactone (goniothalenol) from D-glucose

A ten steps total synthesis of (−) altholactone, enantiomer of an antitumor pyrone isolated from Goniothalamus species, is described starting from D-glucose.     

Total Synthesis of (−)-Rotundone and (−)-epi-Rotundone from Monoterpene Precursors

The first total synthesis of (−)-rotundone has been accomplished from (+)-(R)-limonene and therefore for the first time from an unrelated monoterpene instead of modifying structurally closely related sesquiterpene precursors such as α-guaiene. Challenges such as intermediates with stereocenters prone to epimerization by enolization were overcome by designing a β-methyl-keto route starting from (+)-(R)-limonene which finally gave (−)-rotundone by Nazarov cyclization of a precursor 13a . Diastereomer (−)-epi-rotundone was separated from (−)-rotundone chromatographically. An alternative route from rac-citronellal provided a diastereomer mixture of racemic Nazarov precursor 13 through a TRIP-catalyzed intramolecular aldolization, thus indicating that the Nazarov cyclization precursor 13a is in principle accessible from (−)-(S)-citronellal. The 11-step synthesis from (+)-(R)-limonene with ca. 1 % overall yield confirmed the absolute configuration of (−)-rotundone and provided samples of good olfactory quality.     

Total Syntheses of (−)-Conidiogenone B, (−)-Conidiogenone,and (−)-Conidiogenol

Cyclopianes are novel diterpenes featuring a highly strained 6/5/5/5 tetracyclic core embedded with 6–8 consecutive stereocenters. The concise total syntheses of (−)-conidiogenone B, (−)-conidiogenone, and (−)-conidiogenol have been accomplished in 14–17 steps. The present work features a HAT-mediated alkene–nitrile cyclization to access the cis-biquinane, a Nicholas/Pauson–Khand reaction to construct the linear triquinane, and a Danheiser annulation to afford the congested angular triquinane skeleton.     

Total synthesis of natural (−)- and unnatural (+)-Melearoride A

This communication details the first total synthesis of the 13-membered macrolide, (?)-Melearoride A, as well as unnatural (+)-Melearoride A. The synthesis features a concise 13 step synthesis (11 steps longest linear sequence) that offers flexible stereo-control and multiple opportunities for unnatural analog synthesis to delve into antifungal SAR. The route features a cuprate addition, an Evans asymmetric alkylation, and a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) to close the 13-membered macrocyclic core.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (−)-synargentolide B

A convergent, enantioselective total synthesis of (?)-synargentolide-B has been accomplished from readily available l-arabinose and d-ethyl lactate by a 10-step sequence involving Still-Gennari olefination, one-pot acidic deprotection/lactonization and olefin cross-metathesis reaction as the key step.     

Divergent Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (−)-Voacafricines A and B

A divergent asymmetric total synthesis of voacafricines A and B, hexacyclic monoterpene indole alkaloids, has been accomplished featuring the following key steps: a) a catalyst-controlled asymmetric Pictet–Spengler reaction of 6-methoxytryptamine with a chiral α-ketoester affording a 1,1-disubstituted tetrahydro-β-carboline in excellent yield and diastereoselectivity; b) oxidative cleavage of a 3,5-disubstituted cyclopentene furnishing a dialdehyde intermediate, which was effectively differentiated through spontaneous cyclization with the neighboring hydroxy and secondary amine functions; c) intramolecular nucleophilic addition of a tertiary amino nitrogen atom to the in situ generated oxonium species generating stereoselectively an unprecedented 8-alkyl octahydro-2H-5,8-methanofuro[2,3-b]azepin-8-ium motif bearing five contiguous stereocenters. The synthesis confirmed the absolute configuration of these two natural products.     

Divergent Total Syntheses of (−)-Daphnezomines A and B and (+)-Dapholdhamine B

The daphnezomine A-type subfamily of Daphniphyllum alkaloids structurally features a unique aza-adamantane core skeleton and anticipates efficient strategies for completing their syntheses to thoroughly investigate their biological activities. Herein, divergent total syntheses of (−)-daphnezomines A and B and (+)-dapholdhamine B have been accomplished in 16–20 steps from a known epoxide via rapid construction of a common core intermediate. The present work features a Ti-mediated radical cyclization to establish the azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane ring system, an intramolecular Heck reaction to install the bridgehead all-carbon quaternary stereocenter, a tandem deprotection/reduction/keto amine-carbinolamine tautomerization to furnish the aza-adamantane backbone, and an NIS-promoted 6-endo-trig aminocyclization to assemble the (+)-dapholdhamine B backbone.