Synthese von (+)-(5S, 6S)-Azafrin-methylester; absolute Konfiguration von Aeginetinsäure and von weiteren vicinalen Apocarotin-diolen

Synthesis of (+)-(5S, 6S)-Azafrin Methyl Ester; Absolute Configuration of Aeginetic Acid and of Further Vicinal Apocarotenediols We describe the synthesis of a series of optically active vicinal apo-β-carotenediols. Thus, starting from (+)-(5S, 6S)-5,6-dihydroxy-5,6-dihydro-β-ionone ( 2 ) we have prepared the (Z/E)-isomeric (+)-C₁₅-esters 7 and 8 , the (+)-retinoic derivatives 14 , 15 , 18 , 19 and (+)-methyl azafrinate ( 22 ), the enantiomer of the naturally occur-ring compound (s. Scheme 1). Our synthesis also establishes the absolute configura-tion of aeginetic acid ( 24 ), aeginetoside ( 25 ) and aeginetin ( 26 ), compounds isolated from the root parasite Aeginetia indica by Indian and Japanese workers (s. Scheme 2). The presented synthesis of optically active methyl azafrinate confirms our previous assignment 14] of the absolute configuration of azafrin ( 1a ), which was based on degradative evidence.