21850-67-9

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Concise total asymmetric syntheses of three diastereoisomeric 1-hydroxymethyl-7-hydroxy substituted pyrrolizidines, (?)-hastanecine, (?)-turneforcidine and (?)-platynecine, are reported. The doubly diastereoselective conjugate additions of lithium (R)- or (S)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide to tert-butyl (R,E)-4-(triethylsilyloxy)hepta-2,6-dienoate [which was prepared (in 96:4 e.r.) via Lewis acid mediated catalytic asymmetric allylation of tert-butyl (E)-4-oxobut-2-enoate] proceeded in both cases under the dominant control of the lithium amide reagent. Subsequent diastereoselective enolate allylations installed the required stereogenic centres, and the pyrrolizidine ring system was rapidly accessed by a two-step protocol (viz. ozonolysis and one-pot hydrogenolysis/double reductive cyclisation), to complete the asymmetric syntheses of (?)-hastanecine, (?)-turneforcidine and (?)-platynecine in 17, 8 and 24% overall yield, respectively, in eleven steps from commercially available 2,2-dimethoxyacetaldehyde in each case.

The endemic Mexican genus Pittocaulon (subtribe Tussilagininae, tribe Senecioneae, Asteraceae) belongs to a monophyletic group of genera distributed in Mexico and North America. The five Pittocaulon species represent shrubs with broom-like succulent branches. All species were found to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). With one exception (i.e., stems of Pittocaulon velatum are devoid of PAs) PAs were found in all plant organs with the highest levels (up to 0.3% of dry weight) in the flower heads. Three structural types of PAs were found: (1) macrocyclic otonecine esters, e.g. senkirkine and acetylpetasitenine; (2) macrocyclic retronecine esters, e.g. senecionine, only found in roots, and (3) monoesters of 1,2-saturated necines with angelic acid. For an unambiguous assignment of the different stereoisomeric 1,2-saturated necine bases a GC-MS method was established that allows the separation and identification of the four stereoisomers as their diacetyl or trimethylsilyl derivatives. All otonecine esters that generally do not form N-oxides and the 1,2-saturated PAs were exclusively found as free bases, while the 1,2-unsaturated 7-angeloylheliotridine occurring in P. velatum was found only as its N-oxide. In a comparative study the 1H and 13C NMR spectra of the four stereoisomeric necine bases were completely assigned by the use of DEPT-135, H,H-COSY, H,C-HSQC and H,H-NOESY experiments and by iterative analysis of the 1H NMR spectra. Based on these methods the PA monoesters occurring in Pittocaulon praecox and P. velatum were assigned as 7-O-angeloyl ester respectively 9-O-angeloyl ester of dihydroxyheliotridane which could be identified for the first time as naturally occurring necine base. Unexpectedly, in the monoesters isolated from the three other Pittocaulon species dihydroxyheliotridane is replaced by the necine base turneforcidine with opposite configuration at C-1 and C-7. The species-specific and organ-typical PA profiles of the five Pittocaulon species are discussed in a biogenetic context.

(-)- and (+)-Geissman-Waiss lactone, 4b, was efficiently prepared via the intramolecular C-H insertion reaction of the chiral nonracemic diazoacetates (-)-5a and (+)-5b catalyzed by dirhodium(II) tetrakis[methyl (5R and 5S)-3-phenylpropanoyl-2-imidazolidinone-5-carboxylate]. The cyclization was found to proceed with excellent regioselectivity and cis-diastereoselectivity. The bicyclic lactone (-)-4b was successfully used in the synthesis of the necine base, (-)-turneforcidine 2.

The intramolecular C-H insertion reaction in chiral non-racemic diazoacetates (-)-6 and (+)-8 catalyzed by chiral Rh2(MPPIM)4 proceeded efficiently, with excellent regioselectivity and cis-diastereoselectivity, to give (-)- and (+)-G

Necine bases of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, turneforcidine, hastanecine, and platynecine are synthesized from ethyl 1-hydroxy-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolizine-7-carboxylate in racemic form.

The enantioselective synthesis of seven pyrrolizidine diols has been accomplished from a single, readily available intermediate.The key step of this general scheme involves an acetoxy-directed acyliminium ion-ketene dithioacetal cationic cyclization to gi

Cropodine (1), a new macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloid, has been isolated from pericarps of Crotalaria candicans along with crispatine and isocromadurine.Based on chemical and spectroscopie evidence, its structure has been established as 1H-12,13-dihydroxy-12,13,14-trimethylcrotalanine.