Total synthesis of borrelidin.

The total synthesis of borrelidin has been achieved. The best feature of our synthetic route is macrocyclization at C11-C12 for the construction of an 18-membered ring after esterification between two segments. A detailed examination of the macrocyclization led us to the samarium(II) iodide-mediated intramolecular Reformatsky-type reaction as the most efficient synthetic approach. The two key segments were synthesized through regioselective methylation, directed hydrogenation, stereoselective Reformatsky-type reaction, and MgBr2.Et2O-mediated chelation-controlled allylation.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel kazusamycin A derivatives as potent antitumor agents.

Novel kazusamycin A derivatives were designed in the viewpoint of decrease of reactivity at the alpha,beta-unsaturated delta-lactone moiety against Michael-type addition. Although 25-30 steps were required for the synthesis of each compound, their syntheses were achieved. Cytotoxicity against HPAC cell line was evaluated, and two of them exhibited comparable potency to kazusamycin A. Hepatic toxicity of these designed compounds was much lower than that of kazusamycin A.

A concise stereoselective route to the indoline spiroaminal framework of neoxaline and oxaline.

The stereoselective synthesis of tetracyclic intermediate, the indoline spiroaminal 3 for neoxaline (1) and oxaline (2), has been accomplished. The key step of the stereoselective synthesis of 3 was the Lewis acid mediated transcyclization of 4 to the diaminal 18, and the tungstate-catalyzed oxidation of 18 to obtain the nitrone 19, which easily cyclizes to the indoline spiroaminal framework 3. [structure: see text]

First total synthesis of the antitumor compound (-)-kazusamycin A and absolute structure determination.

The first total synthesis of kazusamycin A, a potent antitumor compound from an actinomycete, has been achieved, and its absolute structure was determined. Paterson's stereoselective aldol reaction was successfully applied to construct the contiguous chiral centers by using an originally designed optically active 2-acyl-1,3-propanediol derivative.

Total synthesis of (-)-borrelidin.

The total synthesis of borrelidin has been achieved. The best feature of our synthetic route is SmI(2)-mediated intramolecular Reformatsky-type reaction for macrocyclization after esterification between two segments. The two key segments were synthesized through chelation-controlled carbotitanation, chelation-controlled hydrogenation, stereoselective Reformatsky reaction, and MgBr(2).Et(2)O-mediated chelation-controlled allylation. [reaction: see text]

Total synthesis and adjuvant activity of all stereoisomers of pinellic acid.

Pinellic acid is a novel and potentially useful oral adjuvant when used in conjunction with intranasal inoculation of influenza HA vaccines. All stereoisomers of pinellic acid have been synthesized via regioselective asymmetric dihydroxylation, regioselective inversion, and stereoselective reduction, and their adjuvant activities were characterized. Among this series of isomers, 9S, 12S, 13S compound has the most potent adjuvant activity. Structure-activity relationships are discussed.

Total synthesis of ingenol.

Total synthesis of ingenol, a diterpene isolated from the genus Euphorbia, was accomplished on the basis of the novel key reactions. The highly strained ingenane skeleton was constructed through an intramolecular cyclization reaction of an acetylene dicobalt complex followed by a rearrangement reaction of an epoxy alcohol. The C(3),C(4),C(5)-triol moiety was introduced by a stereoselective double dihydroxylation reaction of a diene having C(2)-C(3) and C(4)-C(5) double bonds.

Short total synthesis of (+)-madindolines A and B.

[reaction: see text] A short and efficient total synthesis of (+)-madindolines A (1) and B (2), potent and selective inhibitors of interleukin 6, has been achieved. The synthesis features a key chelation-controlled 1,4-diastereoselective acylation to generate the quaternary carbon and an intramolecular acylation of allylsilane to build up the cyclopentene unit.

The first total synthesis of (+/-)-arisugacin A, a potent, orally bioavailable inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase.

The first convergent total synthesis of (+/-)-arisugacin A was accomplished by stereoselective construction of the arisugacin skeleton via a Knoevenagel-type reaction of an alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde with a 4-hydroxy 2-pyrone and stereoselective dihydroxylation followed by deoxygenation.

Total Synthesis of (-)-Coriolin.

An efficient synthetic method for (-)-coriolin has been developed on the basis of a [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of a 1-(methylthio)-2-siloxyallyl cationic species and vinylsulfides. An enantiomerically pure C-ring unit was prepared through optical resolution of five-membered allyl ester 6b using a lipase. The first [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of C-ring unit (S)-7 gave bicyclic ketones 8 and 9, which were easily converted into vinyl sulfide 11. Stereoselective construction of the A-ring was achieved by the second [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of the BC-ring unit. New methods for introduction of the oxygen functional groups to the triquinane skeleton were also developed for the last stages of the total synthesis. Thus, the C7 hydroxyl group was introduced by epoxidation of dienol silyl ether 17, and stereocontrolled construction of the spiro epoxide moiety was accomplished on the basis of a Darzens-type reaction.