Synthesis of 7-Deoxyxestobergsterol A, a Novel Pentacyclic Steroid of the Xestobergsterol Class1

Scalable Synthesis of an Acid Stable Analogue of Hippuristanol

Hippuristanol is a marine derived steroidal natural product with promising anticancer activity. However, instability at low pH has precluded its development as an efficient therapy. We addressed this limitation by replacing one of the oxygen atoms of the spiroketal moiety with a carbon atom. Key steps in the synthesis include a Meyer-Schuster/Nazarov cascade, a hypoiodite mediated oxyfunctionalization, and the late-stage installation of a hydroxyl group on the C-ring of the steroid.

Novel d-Annulated Pentacyclic Steroids: Regioselective Synthesis and Biological Evaluation in Breast Cancer Cells

The acid-catalyzed cyclization of benzylidenes based on 16-dehydropregnenolone acetate (16-DPA) was studied. It was found that these compounds readily undergo regioselective interrupted Nazarov cyclization with trapping chloride ion and an efficient method of the synthesis of d-annulated pentacyclic steroids based on this reaction was proposed. The structures of the synthesized pentacyclic steroids were determined by NMR and X-ray diffraction. It was found that the reaction affords a single diastereomer, but the latter can crystallize as two conformers depending on the structure. Antiproliferative activity of synthesized compounds was evaluated against two breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. All tested compounds showed relatively high antiproliferative activity. The synthetic potential of the protocol developed was illustrated by the gram-scale experiment.

Divergent stereocontrol of acid catalyzed intramolecular aldol reactions of 2,3,7-triketoesters: synthesis of highly functionalized cyclopentanones

The intramolecular acid catalyzed aldol cyclization of 2,3,7-triketoesters formed from ζ-keto-α-diazo-β-ketoesters provides highly functionalized cyclopentanones with good diastereoselectivity in high overall yields via kinetically controlled and stereodivergent catalytic processes. Lewis acid catalysis gives high selectivity for the 1,2-anti tetrasubstituted cyclopentanones, whereas Brønsted acid catalysis produces the corresponding 1,2-syn diastereomer.

Synthesis of the cores of hypocrellin and shiraiachrome: diastereoselective 1,8-diketone aldol cyclization

Intramolecular 1,8-diketone aldol reactions were studied as a tool for the construction of the seven-membered rings of hypocrellin and shiraiachrome. Conditions were identified to obtain the relative stereochemistries present in the two natural products with excellent diastereoselectivity. In addition, a nine-membered ring congener, which has yet to be observed in nature, formed with high selectivity when a hindered amine was used in conjunction with silazide bases.

Synthesis of polyhydroxysterols (I): synthesis of 24-methylenecholest-4-en-3beta,6beta-diol, a cytotoxic natural hydroxylated sterol

Starting from stigmasterol (2), 24-methylenecholest-4-en-3beta, 6beta-diol (1), a cytotoxic natural dihydroxylated sterol, was synthesized via 10 steps in 20% overall yield. The introduction of a side-chain of sterol was achieved by solid-liquid phase-transfer Wittig reaction using (3-methyl-2-oxo)butyltriphenylarsonium bromide (12) and K(2)CO(3). Construction of the steroidal nucleus was finished by the addition of 3beta-acetoxycholest-5,6-en-24-one (7) with NBA in dioxane under ambient temperature and by the elimination of 3beta, 6beta-diacetoxy-5a-bromocholestane-24-one (9). The spectral data of the synthetic product (1) are completely consistent with those of the natural compound (1).

Unusual Diastereoselectivity in Intramolecular Diels-Alder Reactions of Substituted 3,5-Hexadienyl Acrylates. Preference for a Boatlike Structure of the Six-Atom Tether Due to Ester Overlap

Thermolysis of the 3,5-hexadienyl acrylates (a) proceeds via the transition state E in which the connecting chain adopts a boatlike conformation due to a preference for maintaining ester overlap to afford the products b with good diastereoselectivity.

First total synthesis of xestobergsterol A and active structural analogues of the xestobergsterols

[formula: see text] A novel pentacyclic polyhydroxylated sterol, xestobergsterol A (1a), has been synthesized in 24 steps and in good overall yield from stigmasterol 17. The key steps of the synthesis are the Breslow remote functionalization of the polyoxygenated steroid derived from 25 and the base-catalyzed epimerization-aldol condensation of the dione derived from 27.