Stereoselective synthesis of a 12-acetoxyazadiradione analogue

Synthesis of Bufadienolide Cinobufagin via Late-Stage Singlet Oxygen Oxidation/Rearrangement Approach

This manuscript describes a concise synthesis of cinobufagin, a natural steroid of the bufadienolide family, from readily available dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), as well as its α5-epimer derived from 3-epi-andosterone. This synthesis features expedient installation of the 17β-pyrone moiety with the 14β,15β-epoxide and the 16β-acetoxy group using a photochemical regioselective singlet oxygen [4 + 2] cycloaddition followed by CoTPP-promoted in situ endoperoxide rearrangement to provide a 14β,16β-bis-epoxide in 64% yield with a 1.6:1 d.r. This β,β-bis-epoxide intermediate was subsequently subjected to a regioselective scandium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate catalyzed House-Meinwald rearrangement to establish the 17β-configuration. The synthesis of cinobufagin is achieved in 12 steps (LLS) and 7.6% overall yield, and we demonstrate that it could be used as a platform for the subsequent medicinal chemistry exploration of cinobufagin analogs such as cinobufagin 5α-epimer.

Synthesis of Cardiotonic Steroids Oleandrigenin and Rhodexin B

This article describes a concise synthesis of cardiotonic steroids oleandrigenin (7) and its subsequent elaboration into the natural product rhodexin B (2) from the readily available intermediate (8) that could be derived from the commercially available steroids testosterone or DHEA via three-step sequences. These studies feature an expedient installation of the β16-oxidation based on β14-hydroxyl-directed epoxidation and subsequent epoxide rearrangement. The following singlet oxygen oxidation of the C17 furan moiety provides access to oleandrigenin (7) in 12 steps (LLS) and a 3.1% overall yield from 8. The synthetic oleandrigenin (7) was successfully glycosylated with l-rhamnopyranoside-based donor 28 using a Pd(II)-catalyst, and the subsequent deprotection under acidic conditions provided cytotoxic natural product rhodexin B (2) in a 66% yield (two steps).

2-Isoxazolines: A Synthetic and Medicinal Overview

Isoxazolines are nitrogen- and oxygen-containing five-membered heterocyclic scaffolds with extensive biological activities. This framework can be readily obtained in good to excellent yields through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between nitrones with alkynes or allenes, aryl/alkyl halides, alkynes, and oxaziridines under mild conditions. This scaffold has been an emerging area of interest for many researchers given their wide range of bioactivities. Herein we review synthetic strategies toward isoxazolines and the role these efforts have had in enhancing the biological activity of natural products and synthetic compounds such as antitubercular agents, COX-1 inhibitors, COX-2 inhibitors (e. g., valdecoxib), nicotinic receptor modulators, and MIF inhibitors. With a focus on efforts from 2010 onward, this review provides in-depth coverage of the design and biological evaluation of isoxazoline systems and their impact on various pathologies.

Asymmetric organocatalytic multicomponent reactions for efficient construction of bicyclic compounds bearing bisacetal and isoxazolidine moieties

An organocatalytic multicomponent reaction of N-protected hydroxylamines, acrylaldehyde and acetal-containing enones was developed. Bisacetal-containing bicyclic isoxazolidine derivatives bearing four continuous stereocenters were formed with excellent stereoselectivities. A plausible reaction pathway was proposed based on ¹⁸O-labeling control experiments.

The synthesis of cardenolide and bufadienolide aglycones, and related steroids bearing a heterocyclic subunit

Covering: early studies through to March 2016Cardenolides and bufadienolides constitute an attractive class of biologically active steroid derivatives which have been used for the treatment of heart disease in traditional remedies as well as in modern medicinal therapy. Due to their application as therapeutic agents and their unique molecular structures, bearing unsaturated 5- or 6-membered lactones (or other heterocycles) attached to the steroid core, cardio-active steroids have received great attention, which has intensified during the last decade, in the synthetic organic community. Advances in the field of cross-coupling reactions have provided a powerful tool for the attachment of lactone subunits to the steroid core. This current review covers a methodological analysis of synthetic efforts to cardenolide and bufadienolide aglycones. Special emphasis is given to cross-coupling reactions applied for the attachment of lactone subunits at sterically very hindered positions of the steroid core. The carefully selected partial and total syntheses of representative cardio-active steroids will also be presented to exemplify recent achievements (improvements) in the field.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel Δ2-isoxazoline fused cyclopentane derivatives as potential antimicrobial and anticancer agents

Novel Δ²-isoxazoline fused cyclopentane derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial and anticancer activities.

Phthalate tethered strategy: carbohydrate nitrile oxide cycloaddition to 12–15 member chiral macrocycles with alkenyl chain length controlled orientation of bridged isoxazolines

The highly selective synthesis of phthalate templated bridged sugar-based isoxazoline macrocyclic lactones is demonstrated through INOC with alkene.

Synthesis of CDE molecular fragments related to sendanin mediated by titanocene(III)

A practical, brief, and diastereoselective synthesis of limonoid CDE fragments from a readily available starting material is described. The key step was the titanocene(III)-promoted cyclization of unsaturated epoxylactones, readily prepared from α-cyclocitral. In this way, we confirm the viability of our procedure for the synthesis of a limonoid model with different functionalization patterns. We also report the antifeedant activity of epoxylactones 18 and 19, which show significant antifeedant activity against Spodoptera littoralis and Spodoptera frugiperda, two insect species with different feeding ecologies.

Approach to tetrodotoxin via the oxidative amidation of a phenol

An approach to tetrodotoxin that relies on the oxidative amidation of methyl 4-hydroxyphenylacetate as a key step is described. The stereoselective introduction of a beta-hydroxynitrile functionality on one of the double bonds of the emerging dienone is achieved through an intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition-fragmentation sequence.

Synthesis of a core carbon framework of cyanosporasides A and B

Treatment of 3-(2-ethynylphenyl)prop-2-ynyl benzenesulfinate with 2.5 mol % of [RhCl(CO)(2)](2) at 40 degrees C under an atmosphere of CO effected the successive 2,3-sigmatropic rearrangement and carbonylative [2 + 2 + 1] ring-closing reaction to afford the 8-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-cyclopent[a]-inden-2-one in a high yield. Chemical modification of the ring-closed product via lipase-mediated optical resolution produced the optically active 3-acetoxy-3a-cyclohexyloxy-3,3a-dihydrocyclopent-[a]indene skeleton, the core carbon framework of cyanosporasides A and B.