Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of 3,4-Disubstituted Cyclohexadiene Carbaldehydes: Formal Total Synthesis of Cyclobakuchiols A and C

Saturated Cannabinoids: Update on Synthesis Strategies and Biological Studies of These Emerging Cannabinoid Analogs

Natural and non-natural hexahydrocannabinols (HHC) were first described in 1940 by Adam and in late 2021 arose on the drug market in the United States and in some European countries. A background on the discovery, synthesis, and pharmacology studies of hydrogenated and saturated cannabinoids is described. This is harmonized with a summary and comparison of the cannabinoid receptor affinities of various classical, hybrid, and non-classical saturated cannabinoids. A discussion of structure-activity relationships with the four different pharmacophores found in the cannabinoid scaffold is added to this review. According to laboratory studies in vitro, and in several animal species in vivo, HHC is reported to have broadly similar effects to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the main psychoactive substance in cannabis, as demonstrated both in vitro and in several animal species in vivo. However, the effects of HHC treatment have not been studied in humans, and thus a biological profile has not been established.

Enantioselective total syntheses of six natural and two proposed meroterpenoids from Psoralea corylifolia

The first enantioselective total syntheses of six natural and two proposed meroterpenoids isolated from Psoralea corylifolia have been achieved in 7-9 steps from 2-methylcyclohexanone. The current synthetic approaches feature a high level of synthetic flexibility, stereodivergent fashion and short synthetic route, thereby providing a potential platform for the preparation of numerous this-type meroterpenoids and their pseudo-natural products.

Recent applications of asymmetric organocatalytic annulation reactions in natural product synthesis

The past two decades have witnessed remarkable growth of asymmetric organocatalysis, which is now a firmly established synthetic tool, serving as a powerful platform for the production of chiral molecules. Ring structures are ubiquitous in organic compounds, and, in the context of natural product synthesis, strategic construction of ring motifs is often crucial, fundamentally impacting the eventual fate of the whole synthetic plan. In this review, we provide a comprehensive and updated summary of asymmetric organocatalytic annulation reactions; in particular, the application of these annulation strategies in natural product synthesis will be highlighted.

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Potent 9β-11-Hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol

The first total synthesis of potent cannabinoid, 9β-11-hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol, is achieved through a proline-catalyzed inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction. Using this asymmetric catalysis, the cyclohexane ring is constructed with two chiral centers as a single diastereomer with 97% ee. The creation of the third chiral center and benzopyran ring is demonstrated with the elegant synthetic strategies. This mild and efficient synthetic methodology provides a new route for the asymmetric synthesis of the other potent hexahydrocannabinols.