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The efficient synthesis and antifungal exploration of (+)-yahazunol and related natural products are described. Central to this strategy is the Barton decarboxylative coupling, comprising a one-pot radical decarboxylation and quinone addition cascade. The scalable synthesis of (+)-yahazunol was accomplished in five longest linear sequences (LLS) starting from commercially available and inexpensive (-)-sclareol. The divergent translational potential of (+)-yahazunol was demonstrated by the expedient preparation of (-)-zonarone, (-)-isozonarone, (-)-zonarol, (-)-isozonarol, (+)-chromazonarol, and (+)-yahazunone. This approach also enables the formal synthesis of puupehenol, puupehedione, and hongoquercin A. Antifungal evaluation was performed, and this represents the first biological profiles for (+)-yahazunone, (+)-8-O-acetylyahazunone, and (+)-8-O-acetylyahazunol. (+)-Chromazonarol and (+)-yahazunone are promising candidates against Sclerotinia scleotiorum, with EC50 values of 24.1 and 28.7 μM, respectively, demonstrating advantages over the original model (DM) and synthesized heterocyclic mimic (3a) of meroterpenoids. This will favor the establishment of a chemical repertoire in the management of different plant diseases.

A scalable, divergent synthesis of bioactive meroterpenoids has been developed. A key component of this work is the invention of "borono- sclareolide", a terpenyl radical precursor that enables gram-scale preparation of (+)-chromazonarol. Subsequent synthetic operations on this key intermediate permit rapid access to a variety of related meroterpenoids, many of which possess important biological activity.

The synthesis of the marine natural products zonarone and isozonarone was achieved via (+)-albicanic acid, a sesquiterpene of the drimane type. Coupling of the appropiate drimane-synthon with lithiated hydroquinone ethers led to sesquiterpene arenes, which were further modified to the target molecules. Stereoselective epoxidation followed by regioselective opening of the oxirane ring yielded yahazunol.

The total synthesis of the naturally occurring sesquiterpene hydroquinones zonarol and isozonarol and the sesquiterpene quinones zonarone and isozonarone was achieved starting from β-ionone, which was transformed via (+)-albicanic acid to (+)-albicanal and (-)-drim-7-en-11-al. Coupling of the aldehydes with lithiated hydroquinone ethers and further modification of the coupling products led to the target molecules. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Efficient syntheses of ent-isozonarol (6a), ent-isozonarone (7a) and ent-chromazonarol (8) from (-)-sclareol (12) are described. 6a and 7a show a significative antitumoral activity.