New access to indolizidine and pyrrolizidine alkaloids from an enantiopure proline: total syntheses of (-)-lentiginosine and (1R,2R,7aR)-dihydroxypyrrolizidine.

A new approach to the synthesis of indolizidine and pyrrolizidine skeletons is reported. (-)-Lentiginosine and (1R,2R,7aR)-dihydroxypyrrolizidine have both been synthesized in 13 steps from di-O-isopropylidene-d-mannitol. The common key intermediate is (-)-dihydroxyproline benzyl ester 10.