Total syntheses of squamocin A and squamocin D

Acetogenins from Annonaceae

In recent decades, annonaceous acetogenins have become highly studied plant secondary metabolites in terms of their isolation, structure elucidation, synthesis, biological evaluation, mechanism of action, and toxicity. The aim of the present contribution is to summarize chemical and biological reports published since 1997 on annonaceous acetogenins and synthetic acetogenin mimics. The compounds are considered biologically in terms of their cytotoxicity for cancer cell lines, neurotoxicity, pesticidal effects, and miscellaneous activities.

Total synthesis, stereochemical assignment, and biological activity of chamuvarinin and structural analogues

A highly stereocontrolled synthesis of (+)-chamuvarinin has been completed in 1.5% overall yield over 20 steps. The key fragment coupling reactions were the addition of alkyne 8 to aldehyde 7 (under Felkin-Anh control), followed by the two step activation/cyclization to close the C20-C23 2,5-cis-substituted tetrahydrofuran ring and a Julia-Kocienski olefination at C8-C9 to introduce the terminal butenolide. The inherent flexibility of our coupling strategy led to a streamlined synthesis with 17 steps in the longest sequence (2.2% overall yield), in which the key bond couplings are reversed. In addition, a series of structural analogues of chamuvarinin have been prepared and screened for activity against HeLa cancer cell lines and both the bloodstream and insect forms of Trypanosoma brucei, the parasitic agent responsible for African sleeping sickness.

Recent progress on the total synthesis of acetogenins from Annonaceae

An overview of recent progress on the total synthesis of acetogenins from Annonaceae during the past 12 years is provided. These include mono-tetrahydrofurans, adjacent bis-tetrahydrofurans, nonadjacent bis-tetrahydrofurans, tri-tetrahydrofurans, adjacent tetrahydrofuran-tetrahydropyrans, nonadjacent tetrahydrofuran-tetrahydropyrans, mono-tetrahydropyrans, and acetogenins containing only gamma-lactone. This review emphasizes only the first total synthesis of molecules of contemporary interest and syntheses that have helped to correct structures. In addition, some significant results on the novel synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of annonaceous acetogenins are also introduced.

Cascade Reactions in Total Synthesis

The design and implementation of cascade reactions is a challenging facet of organic chemistry, yet one that can impart striking novelty, elegance, and efficiency to synthetic strategies. The application of cascade reactions to natural products synthesis represents a particularly demanding task, but the results can be both stunning and instructive. This Review highlights selected examples of cascade reactions in total synthesis, with particular emphasis on recent applications therein. The examples discussed herein illustrate the power of these processes in the construction of complex molecules and underscore their future potential in chemical synthesis.

A Bidirectional Approach to the Synthesis of a Complete Library of Adjacent-Bis-THF Annonaceous Acetogenins

Thirty-six stereoisomers of bifunctional adjacent bis-THF (tetrahydrofuran) lactones have been synthesized, which can afford a complete library of the adjacent bis-THF Annonaceous acetogenins. The bis-THF lactones were synthesized, starting from the enantioselectively pure 8,9:12,13-(E,E and Z,E)-16-benzyloxy-5-hydroxy-hexadeca-1,4-olide, in a highly distereoselective manner using oxidative reactions, including rhenium(VII) oxides-mediated oxidative cyclization, Shi's asymmetric epoxidation, and Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation reactions. Using the nonsymmetrical bis-THF lactones, syntheses of two nonnatural acetogenins were achieved.

New strategy for the construction of a monotetrahydrofuran ring in Annonaceous acetogenin based on a ruthenium ring-closing metathesis: application to the synthesis of Solamin

An original convergent total synthesis of Solamin (type A annonaceous acetogenin) was achieved. The central THF core was obtained by means of a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reaction using a ruthenium imidazolylidene complex. The RCM substrate was prepared from a vinyl-substituted epoxide by reaction with an allyl alcohol, both synthesized from propargylic alcohol. The flexibility of the strategy should be useful in preparing various natural and unnatural annonaceous acetogenins.

A modular synthesis of annonaceous acetogenins

A synthesis of four Annonaceous acetogenins, asiminocin, asimicin, asimin, and bullanin, by a modular approach from seven fundamental subunits, A-G, is described. The approach employs a central core aldehyde segment, C, to which are appended an aliphatic terminus, A or B, a spacer subunit, D or E, and a butenolide terminus, F or G. Coupling of the A, B, D, and E segments to the core aldehyde unit is effected by highly diastereoselective additions of enantiopure allylic indium or tin reagents. The butenolide termini are attached to the ACD, BCE, or BCD intermediates by means of a Sonogashira coupling. The design of the core, spacer, and termini subunits is such that any of the C30, C10, or C4 natural acetogenins or stereoisomers thereof could be prepared. IC50 values for the four aforementioned acetogenins against H-116 human colon cancer cells were found to be in the 10(-3) to 10(-4) microM range. The IC90 activities were ca. 10(-3) microM for asimicin and asimin but only 0.1-1 microM for bullanin and asiminocin.

Total synthesis and structure confirmation of the annonaceous acetogenins 30(S)-hydroxybullatacin, uvarigrandin a, and 5(R)-uvarigrandin a (narumicin I?)

A synthesis of the bistetrahydrofuran Annonaceous acetogenins 30(S)-hydroxybullatacin, uvarigrandin A, and 5(R)-uvarigrandin A through application of a previously disclosed four-component modular approach is described in which extended core segments are coupled to a C4- or C5-hydroxy butenolide terminus. The butenolide termini segments were prepared from (S)- or (R)-malic acid. Spectral properties of synthetic 30(S)-hydroxybullatacin and uvarigrandin A, as well as their Mosher ester derivatives, were in close agreement to the reported values for the natural substances. The synthetic 5(R)-uvarigrandin A is possibly identical to narumicin I, but subtle differences in the reported NMR spectra prevented an unambiguous assessment of this point.

The total synthesis of the annonaceous acetogenin, muricatetrocin C

The total synthesis of the potential antitumour agent muricatetrocin C has provided an ideal stage for the exploitation and development of new chemistry. A convergent synthetic strategy has been realised incorporating three distinct pieces of methodology, these include a highly diastereoselective hetero-Diels-Alder reaction to construct the butenolide terminus, an oxygen to carbon rearrangement to install the trans-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofuran ring and a spatial desymmetrisation process to afford the anti-diol unit.

Quinone-annonaceous acetogenins: synthesis and complex I inhibition studies of a new class of natural product hybrids

The natural product hybrids quinone-mucocin and quinone- squamocin D were synthesized. In these hybrids, the butenolide unit of the annonaceous acetogenins mucocin and squamocin D is exchanged for the quinone moiety of the natural complex I substrate ubiquinone. For both syntheses, a modular, highly convergent approach was applied. Quinone-mucocin was constructed out of a tetrahydropyran (THP) component 1, a tetrahydrofuran (THF) unit 2, and a quinone precursor 3. A stereoselective, organometallic coupling reaction was chosen for the addition of the THP unit to the rest of the molecule. In the final step, the oxidation to the free quinone was achieved by using cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) as the oxidizing agent. Quinone-squamocin D was assembled in a similar manner, from the chiral side chain bromide 16, the central bis-THF core 17, and the quinone precursor 18. Inhibition of complex I (isolated from bovine heart mitochondria) by the quinone acetogenins and several smaller building blocks was examined; quinone mucocin and quinone-squamocin D act as strong inhibitors of complex I. These results and the data from the smaller substructures indicate that other substructures of the acetogenins besides the butenolide group, such as the polyether component and the lipophilic left-hand side chain, are necessary for the strong binding of the acetogenins to complex I.