Divergent Synthesis of Solanidine and 22-epi-Solanidine

Steroidal alkaloid with unprecedented triheterocyclic architecture

Veratrazine A (1), a steroidal alkaloid with a unique 6/5/5 triheterocyclic scaffold as the side chain, was isolated from Veratrum stenophyllum, and its structure was established via spectroscopic analyses and X-ray diffraction. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for 1 is proposed. Bioassy exhibits moderate anti-inflammatory activities in vitro and in vivo.

Synthesis of 5α,6-Dihydroveragranines A and B

The 5α,6-dihydro congeners of veragranines A and B, two steroidal alkaloids with an unprecedented hexacyclic skeleton and potent analgesic effects, were synthesized from hecogenin acetate within six steps. This work enables quick access to the hexacyclic skeleton and is amendable to prepare other D-ring-modified congeners.

Synthesis of Demissidine Analogues from Tigogenin via Imine Intermediates

A five-step transformation of a spiroketal side chain of tigogenin into an indolizidine system present in solanidane alkaloids such as demissidine and solanidine was elaborated. The key intermediate in the synthesis was spiroimine 3 readily obtained from tigogenin by its RuO₄ oxidation to 5,6-dihydrokryptogenin followed by amination with aluminum amide generated in situ from DIBAlH and ammonium chloride. The mild reduction of spiroimine to a 26-hydroxy-dihydropyrrole derivative and subsequent mesylation resulted in the formation of 25-epidemissidinium salt or 23-sulfone depending on reaction conditions.

Steroidal Alkaloids with a Potent Analgesic Effect Based on N-type Calcium Channel Inhibition

Two distinctive alkaloids with 6/6/6/5/6/6 fused rings, in which a previously unidentified linkage of C-12/23 generates a rigid skeleton, resulting in a new subtype of steroidal alkaloid, were isolated from Veratrum grandiflorum. Compounds 1 and 2 showed potent analgesic effects in vivo, superior to the well-known analgesic, pethidine (Dolantin), likely by inhibiting Ca_V2.2 voltage-gated calcium channels.

Synthesis of Solanum Alkaloid Demissidine Stereoisomers and Analogues

Demissidine is an indolizidine alkaloid isolated from several potato species. A simple synthesis of demissidine stereoisomers and analogues from a common steroidal sapogenin tigogenin is presented in the paper. The key intermediate in the synthesis of these compounds is readily available tigogenoic acid. Its step-by-step transformation to indolizidine yielded 20R,25R or 20R,25S products while the direct reductive amination produced the 20S,25R compound (25-epi-demissidine).

Asymmetric synthesis of (-)-solanidine and (-)-tomatidenol

A concise asymmetric synthesis of two naturally occurring seco-type cholestane alkaloids (-)-solanidine and (-)-tomatidenol from (-)-diosgenin with a linear reaction sequence of 12 steps and 13 steps, respectively, is reported. The synthetic strategy includes the highly controlled establishment of highly functionalized octahydroindolizine ((-)-solanidine) and 1-oxa-6-azaspiro[4.5]decane ((-)-tomatidenol) cores with five stereocenters, respectively, from (-)-diosgenin, featuring two stereoselective cascade transformations including a modified cascade ring-switching process of furostan-26-acid to open the E-ring of (-)-diosgenin and a cascade azide reduction/intramolecular reductive amination to close the E- and F-rings of (-)-solanidine and (-)-tomatidenol. This work should enable further explorations of chemical and biological spaces based on solanidine, tomatidenol and related natural products.

Stereoselective Synthesis of (-)-Verazine and Congeners via a Cascade Ring-Switching Process of Furostan-26-acid

An efficient synthetic strategy for three natural seco-type cholestane alkaloids isolated from the Veratrum plants, based on commercially available naturally occurring and abundant (-)-diosgenin (1), as exemplified in the concise asymmetric synthesis of (-)-verazine (4), (-)-veramiline (5) (proposed structure), and its 22-epimer, (-)-oblonginine (6), is presented. This work highlights the application of a cascade ring-switching process of (-)-diosgenin to achieve the E-ring opening and construction of chiral six-membered lactone challenges in seco-type cholestane alkaloid synthesis. This approach enables the synthesis of related natural and nature-like novel cholestane alkaloids, opening up opportunities for more extensive exploration of cholestane alkaloid biology.