Stereochemical assignment of C-24 and C-25 of amarasterone A, a putative biosynthetic intermediate of cyasterone.

A C29 phytoecdysteroid named amarasterone A (1) has been isolated from Cyathula capitata (Amaranthaceae), Leuzea carthamoides (Asteraceae), and Microsorum scolopendria (Polypodiaceae). We recently isolated amarasterone A from C. officinalis. Amarasterone A has been postulated as a biosynthetic intermediate of cyasterone in Cyathula sp. The stereochemistry at the C-24 and C-25 positions of these amarasterone A samples was investigated by comparing the NMR spectroscopic data with those of stereodefined model compounds, (24R,25S)-, (24R,25R)-, (24S,25S)-, and (24S,25R)-isomers of (20R,22R)-3ß-methoxystigmast-5-ene-20,22,26-triol (2a-d), which were synthesized in the present study. Amarasterone A isolated from Cyathula officinalis was determined to be the (24R,25S)-isomer (1a), while amarasterone A from L. carthamoides was found to be the (24R,25R)-isomer (1b). Amarasterone A from M. scolopendria was found to be a mixture of 1a and 1b. The biosynthesis of cyasterone in Cyathula sp. is discussed on the basis of the identical C-24 configuration of sitosterol and amarasterone A.

Structure elucidation of cyasterone stereoisomers isolated from Cyathula officinalis.

Chemical investigation of ecdysteroidal constituents of the roots and stems of Cyathula officinalis led to the isolation of two cyasterone stereoisomers, 2 and 3, together with the known cyasterone 1. The structures of compounds 2 and 3 were determined to be 28-epi-cyasterone and 25-epi-28-epi-cyasterone, respectively, by means of spectroscopic analysis. X-Ray structures of 1 and 2 confirmed the 24S,25S,28R configuration for 1 and 24S,25S,28S for 2.