Chemoenzymatic synthesis of enantiomerically enriched kavalactones

Asymmetric Palladium-Catalyzed Oxycarbonylation of Terminal Alkenes: Efficient Access to β-Hydroxy Alkylcarboxylic Acids

A novel Pd^II -catalyzed enantioselective oxycarbonylation of alkenes has been established. The ligand with an ethyl group at the C-6 position of Pyox plays a significant role in the intermolecular oxypalladation process, leading to high reactivity and excellent enantioselective control. Compared to the conventional methods, the reaction itself features alkenes as easily prepared starting materials, mild and operationally simple reaction conditions, and insensitivities to air and water. Moreover, this method allows for broad alkene substrate scope, excellent regio- and enantioselectivities, scalabilities and a wide array of applications, and provides a useful route for the convenient and straightforward synthesis of chiral β-hydroxy alkylcarboxylic acids/esters.

A Review on Synthetic Approaches towards Kavalactones

Kavalactones are classes of α-pyrone and 5,6-dihydropyrone derivatives showing various biological activities, and numerous approaches have been reported for the preparation of these molecules. In this review, we discuss the different synthetic approaches towards these naturally occurring lactones, in both racemic and enantiomerically pure forms, that have been reported in the literature to date. It is hoped that this review will assist researchers in the development of additional and efficient synthetic routes towards kavalactones.

1 Introduction

2 Synthetic Approaches for the Preparation of Kavalactones

3 Conclusion

Boesenbergia rotunda: From Ethnomedicine to Drug Discovery

Boesenbergia rotunda is a herb from the Boesenbergia genera under the Zingiberaceae family. B. rotunda is widely found in Asian countries where it is commonly used as a food ingredient and in ethnomedicinal preparations. The popularity of its ethnomedicinal usage has drawn the attention of scientists worldwide to further investigate its medicinal properties. Advancement in drug design and discovery research has led to the development of synthetic drugs from B. rotunda metabolites via bioinformatics and medicinal chemistry studies. Furthermore, with the advent of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, new insights on the biosynthetic pathways of B. rotunda metabolites can be elucidated, enabling researchers to predict the potential bioactive compounds responsible for the medicinal properties of the plant. The vast biological activities exhibited by the compounds obtained from B. rotunda warrant further investigation through studies such as drug discovery, polypharmacology, and drug delivery using nanotechnology.