Study of the ß-oxygen effect in the Barton-McCombie reaction for the total synthesis of (4R,5R)-4-hydroxy-γ-decalactone (Japanese orange fly lactone): a carbohydrate based approach.

Efficient and facile synthesis of Japanese orange fly lactone (1) was achieved from a commercially available d-glucose by investigating the Barton-McCombie reaction with furanose anomeric isomers (12α , ß) with an overall yield of 12.6%. During the course of this synthesis, the ß-oxygen effect was discovered in the deoxygenation step at the C-3 position using the Barton-McCombie reaction, where the substrate allows the effect to operate in one of the isomers but not in the other. Under the same reaction conditions, xanthate derived from the ß-furanose isomer affords a high yield of deoxygenated product, whereas the α-isomer produces a very low yield. The key transformations used were Wittig olefination, TEMPO mediated oxidation, and Barton-McCombie deoxygenation, resulting in a concise total synthesis of Japanese orange fly lactone (1). Our success will allow for further biological studies of this natural product, as well as opportunities for developing new potentially promising pheromones.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of (2S,4R)-Ketoconazole sulfonamide analogs as potential treatments for Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome, also referred to as 'Syndrome X' or 'Insulin Resistance Syndrome,' remains a major, unmet medical need despite over 30years of intense effort. Recent research suggests that there may be a causal link between this condition and abnormal glucocorticoid processing. Specifically, dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis leads to increased systemic cortisol concentrations. Cushing' syndrome, a disorder that is also typified by a marked elevation in levels of cortisol, produces clinical symptomology that is similar to those observed in MetS, and they can be alleviated by decreasing circulating cortisol concentrations. As a result, it has been suggested that decreasing systemic cortisol concentration might have a positive impact on the progression of MetS. This could be accomplished through inhibition of enzymes in the cortisol synthetic pathway, 11ß-hydroxylase (Cyp11B1), 17α-hydroxylase-C17,20-lyase (Cyp17), and 21-hydroxylase (Cyp21). We have identified a series of novel sulfonamide analogs of (2S,4R)-Ketoconazole that are potent inhibitors of these enzymes. In addition, selected members of this class of compounds have pharmacokinetic properties consistent with orally delivered drugs, making them well suited to further investigation as potential therapies for MetS.