A Short Total Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">rac</Emphasis>-Peniolactol

Summary.  A short facile synthesis of the fungal metabolite (±)-3,4-dihydro-3,6,8-trihydroxy-3- pentadecylisocoumarin (peniolactol) has been achieved. Condensation of hexadecanoyl chloride with 3,5-dimethoxyhomophthalic acid afforded 6,8-dimethoxy-3-pentadecylisocoumarin, which on sequential saponification and demethylation furnished rac-peniolactol in 31% overall yield. The ring-chain tautomerism was studied in solution by ¹H NMR and the mass fragmentation pattern. 3-Pentadecyl- isocoumarin was also synthesized and saponified to the corresponding keto acid as a model compound for comparative studies. E-mail: aamersaeed@yahoo.com Received May 23, 2002; accepted May 30, 2002     

Bioactive compounds from the scale insect fungus Conoideocrella tenuis BCC 44534

Eleven new compounds, including two quinone derivatives of bioxanthracene, conoideocrellones A (1) and B (2), two bioxanthracenes 3 and 4, four isocoumarins and isocoumarin glycosides 7–10, two phenolic compounds 16 and 17, and a diterpenoid compound, conoideocin A (18), were isolated from culture of the scale-insect pathogenic fungus Conoideocrella tenuis BCC 44534. Seventeen known compounds, compounds 5 and 6, ES-242-2 and its atropisomer, isocoumarins and isocoumarin glycosides 11–15, 3,4,6-trihydroxymellein, cis-4,6-dihydroxymellein, metarhizins A (19) and B (20), BR-050 (21), 5α,8α-epidioxy-24(R)-methylcholesta-6,22-dien-3β-ol, zeorin, and conoideocrellide A, were also isolated from this fungus. Structures of these compounds were elucidated by NMR and MS data analyses. Compound 4 was active against Plasmodium falciparum K1 (IC₅₀ 6.6?μg/mL), while it did not show cytotoxicity. Conoideocrellone A (1) and compounds 3 and 7 exhibited cytotoxic activity, while conoideocin A (18) showed broad range of biological activities including antimalarial, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities.     

Synthesis of 8‐Desoxythunberginol A and (±)‐8‐Desoxy‐3,4‐Dihydrothunberginol A

A two step synthesis of title isocoumarin isolated from Homalium longifolium and its conversion into corresponding 3,4‐dihydroisocoumarin has been described. 3,4‐Dimethoxybenzoyl chloride on condensation with homophthalic acid afforded 3‐(3′,4′‐dimethoxyphenyl)isocoumarin which was demethylated to furnish the 8‐desoxythunberginol A, whereas its sequential saponification, reduction and demethylation yielded the (±)‐8‐desoxy‐3,4‐dihydrothunberginol A. The synthesized compounds were examined in vitro for antibacterial activity.     

Tubakialactones A–E,new polyketides from the endophytic fungus Tubakia sp. ECN-111

Three new isocoumarins and two new phthalides, tubakialactones A–E (1–5), together with three known polyketides including (R)-3,4-dihydro-4-hydroxyl-6,8-dimethoxy-4-methyl-3-methylene-1H-2-benzopyran-1-one (6), (?)-5,7-dimethoxy-3-methyl-1(3H)-isobenzofuranone (7), and isosclerone (8) were found in the endophytic fungus Tubakia sp. ECN-111 isolated from the leaves of Houttuynia cordata. The chemical structures of the new compounds were determined by spectroscopic analyses, including extensive 2D-NMR experiments. The absolute configuration of 3 and 7 was determined by optical rotation and circular dichroism.     

Copper-catalyzed annulation of 2-bromobenzoic esters with terminal alkynes towards 3-substituted isocoumarins

An efficient method for the synthesis of 3-substituted isocoumarins that are an important class of biologically active scaffolds via annulation of 2-bromobenzoic esters with terminal alkynes by copper catalyzed is described. The advantages of this method include mild reaction conditions, high yield and regioselectivity, and wide tolerance toward functional groups.     

Three‐Component Reaction of Isocyanides and 2‐Formylbenzoic Acid with Dibenzylamine Catalyzed by Silica Nanoparticles under Solvent‐Free Conditions

Reaction of an isocyanide with an iminium ion intermediate, formed by reaction between 2‐formylbenzoic acid and dibenzylamine in the presence of silica nanoparticles (silica NP, ca. 42 nm) proceeds smoothly at room temperature to afford isocoumarin (=1H‐2‐benzopyran‐1‐one) derivatives in high yields (Scheme 1 and Table 1).     

Halocyclization of Methyl 2‐Alkynylbenzoates to Isocoumarins Using Cupric Halides

Treatment of methyl 2‐alkynylbenzoates with two to three equivalents of CuX₂ (X = Cl or Br) in refluxing acetonitrile gave isocoumarins 2 in good to excellent chemical yields.     

Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H activation of primary benzamides and tandem cyclization with cyclic 2-diazo-1,3-diketones for the synthesis of isocoumarins

A simple and efficient Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H activation and tandem intramolecular cyclization for the synthesis of isocoumarins has been developed. The protocol uses easily available primary benzamides and cyclic 2-diazo-1,3-diketones as starting materials. This reaction proceeds via C-C and C-O bond formation in a single reaction vessel, and the corresponding isocoumarins were obtained in moderate to excellent yields (58%–97%). The well established protocol showed high functional group tolerance, which provided an efficient and alternative route to isocoumarin backbone.     

Synthesis of 4‐Arylisocoumarins (=4‐Aryl‐1H‐2‐benzopyran‐1‐ones) through Acidic Hydrolysis of (Z)‐2‐(1‐Aryl‐2‐methoxyethenyl)benzaldehydes,Followed by Oxidation

4‐Arylisocoumarins (=4‐aryl‐1H‐2‐benzopyran‐1‐ones) 6 were prepared from 2‐(1‐aryl‐2‐methoxyethenyl)‐1‐bromobenzenes 1 . Successive treatment of these bromo styrenes with BuLi and 1‐formylpiperidine gave a mixture of (E)‐ and (Z)‐2‐(1‐aryl‐2‐methoxyethenyl)benzaldehydes 2 . Hydrolysis of (Z)‐isomers with conc. HBr, followed by pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) oxidation of the resulting 1H‐2‐benzopyran‐1‐ol derivatives 4 (and 5 ), afforded the desired products.     

Chelation-control in the formal [3+3] cyclization of 1,3-bis-(silyloxy)-1,3-butadienes with 1-hydroxy-5-silyloxy-hex-4-en-3-ones. One-pot synthesis of 3-aryl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins

The [3+3] cyclization of 1,3-bis(silyloxy)-1,3-butadienes with 1-hydroxy-5-silyloxy-hex-4-en-3-ones resulted in the one-pot formation of 3-aryl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins. The reactions proceeded by regioselective cyclization to give 6-(2-aryl-2-chloroethyl)salicylates, which underwent a silica gel-mediated lactonization. The cyclizations of protected 1-amino-5-silyloxy-hex-4-en-3-ones proved to be not regioselective.