11%), isolated as an orange solid, mp 147–149 ◦C (acetone); [a]D
206 (log e 3.79), 243 (3.55), 308 (3.04), 490 sh (2.97), 519 (3.09),
553 (3.05) and 590 sh nm (2.65); dH(400 MHz) 1.40 (3H, d, J 6.4,
3-Me), 1.64 (3H, d, J 6.3, 1-Me), 2.42 (1H, ddd, J 17.6, 10.5 and
2.7, 4-Hax), 2.88 (1H, dt, J 17.6 and 2.2, 4-Heq), 3.63 (1H, ddq,
J 10.5, 2.2 and 6.4, 3-H), 5.04 (1H, tq, J 2.5 and 6.3, 1-H), 6.35
(1H, s, 8-H), 7.35 (1H, br s, 7-OH), 11.96 and 13.48 (each 1H, s,
5- and 10-OH); m/z (ESI–) 289.1 [M − H]−; (1R,3S)-7-desmethyl
ventiloquinone E 3, which was isolated as an orange solid (0.4 mg,
0.2%); [a]D23 +370 (c 0.020, MeOH); kmax(MeOH) 220 (log e 4.29),
267 (4.00), 292 sh (3.89) and 454 nm (3.29); dH(400 MHz) 1.35 (3H,
d, J 6.1, 3-Me), 1.52 (3H, d, J 6.6, 1-Me), 2.13 (1H, ddd, J 18.1,
10.2 and 3.6, 4-Hax), 2.75 (1H, dt, J 18.1 and 2.4, 4-Heq), 3.55 (1H,
ddq, J 10.2, 2.4 and 6.1, 3-H), 3.90 and 3.93 (each 3H, s, 6- and 9-
OMe), 4.82 (1H, tq, J 3.6 and 6.6, 1-H), 6.68 (1H, br s, 7-OH) and
6.88 (1H, s, 8-H); dC(100 MHz) 20.7, 21.3, 29.7, 56.6, 62.1, 68.8,
70.1, 104.3, 113.7, 125.1, 139.9, 140.5, 148.0, 155.9, 158.0, 182.5
and 183.7; (1R,3S)-ventiloquinone G 7-O-methyl ether 7 (0.5 mg,
18
−210 (c 0.0028, EtOH); CD kextrema(MeOH) 226 (De +2.15), 247
(−0.94), 256 (−0.66), 265 (−0.93), 268 (−0.77), 276 (−1.15), 311
(+0.16), 355 (−0.35), 406 (−0.20) and 445 nm (−0.34); found:
[M]+, 274.0848. C15H14O5 requires: [M]+, 274.0841; kmax(MeOH)
219 (log e 4.21), 231 sh (3.94), 273 (3.87), 290 (3.80) and 441 nm
(4.3); dH(400 MHz) 1.35 (3H, d, J 6.4, 3-Me), 1.56 (3H, d, J 6.8,
1-Me), 2.22 (1H, ddd, J 19.3, 10.0 and 2.0, 4-Hax), 2.72 (1H, dd,
J 19.3 and 3.4, 4-Heq), 3.99 (1H, ddq, J 10.0, 3.4 and 6.4, 3-H),
5.00 (1H, dq, J 2.0 and 6.8, 1-H), 6.03 (1H, br s, 7-OH), 6.61 and
7.10 (each 1H, d, J 2.4, 6-H and 8-H) and 12.22 (1H, s, 9-OH);
dC(100 MHz) 19.8, 21.5, 29.9, 62.4, 67.0, 108.1, 108.3, 109.7, 133.7,
141.9, 146.8, 162.3, 164.3, 183.2 and 186.8; m/z (EI) 274 {[M]+,
28}, 259 (26), 137 (22), 108 (30), 91 (29), 83 (21), 81 (25), 79 (24),
77 (38), 71 (32), 69 (100), 67 (30), 65 (37), 63 (31), 57 (81), 55 (86),
53 (43), 52 (24), 51 (64) and 50 (24); m/z (ESI–) 274.1 [M]− and
273.1 [M− H]−.
0.3%), a red pigment with mp 225 ◦C (dec.) (MeOH); [a]D +271
22
(c 0.025, CHCl3); CD kextrema(MeOH) 225 (De +2.36), 248 (+0.49),
261 (+0.64), 304 (−1.47), 387 (+0.81) and 454 nm (−0.02); found:
[M]+, 304.0955. C16H16O6 requires: [M]+, 304.0947; kmax(MeOH)
227 (log e 4.23), 302 (3.59), 502 (3.50), 535 (3.42) and 570 sh nm
(3.09); dH(400 MHz) 1.39 (3H, d, J 6.1, 3-Me), 1.64 (3H, d, J 6.3,
1-Me), 2.40 (1H, ddd, J 17.6, 10.3 and 2.5, 4-Hax), 2.88 (1H, dt, J
17.6 and 2.2, 4-Heq), 3.62 (1H, ddq, J 10.3, 2.2 and 6.1, 3-H), 3.94
(3H, s, 7-OMe), 5.01 (1H, tq, J 2.5 and 6.3, 1-H), 6.21 (1H, s, 8-H),
12.76 and 13.36 (each 1H, s, 5- and 10-OH); m/z (EI) 304 {[M]+,
7}, 71 (28), 69 (61), 67 (30), 59 (25), 57 (95), 56 (29), 55 (100) and
51 (24); m/z (ESI–) 303.1 [M − H]−; and the yellow trimethyl ether
(1R,3S)-ventiloquinone E 2 (trace); dH(300 MHz) 1.34 (3H, d, J
6.1, 3-Me), 1.50 (3H, d, J 6.6, 1-Me), 2.11 (1H, ddd, J 18.3, 10.3
and 3.7, 4-Hax), 2.78 (1H, dt, J 18.3 and 2.4, 4-Heq), (∼3.6 signal
obscured), 3.87 (3H, s, 7-OMe), 3.97 (6H, s, 6- and 9-OMe), 4.80
(1H, ddq, J 3.7, 2.4 and 6.6, 1-H) and 6.72 (1H, s, 8-H).
Diels–Alder reaction of (1R,3S)-benzoquinone 14 with diene 27
To
a
solution of (1R,3S)-benzoquinone 14 (140 mg,
0.52 mmol) in benzene (5 mL) was added 1,3,4-trimethoxy-1-
trimethylsiloxybuta-1,3-diene 27 (840 mg, 3.62 mmol) in ben-
zene (2 mL). The reaction was stirred at room temperature
overnight then silica gel (0.5 g) was added and the suspension
was stirred for 70 min, filtered through a silica pad (ethyl
acetate–1% formic acid) and the orange band was collected
and concentrated under reduced pressure. The resulting oil
was purified by repeated column chromatography (toluene–ethyl
formate–formic acid, 50 : 49 : 1, light petroleum–ethyl acetate
and ethyl acetate–1% formic acid) and gel filtration (Sephadex
LH20, 100% methanol or methanol–dichloromethane, 1 : 1) to
give a total of six compounds with differing spectroscopic data,
listed below in order of decreasing mobility when subjected to
thin layer chromatography (toluene–ethyl formate–formic acid,
50 : 49 : 1).
Acknowledgements
Ventiloquinone L 8 (trace), the spectroscopic data for this
compound matched both those recorded for the independently
synthesized material described earlier and data reported for the
natural product;8 (1R,3S)-9-desmethyl ventiloquinone E 4, an
orange solid (0.5 mg, 0.3%), mp 180 ◦C (dec.) (MeOH); [a]D22 +270
(c 0.025, CHCl3); CD kextrema(MeOH) 232 (De −0.31), 256 (+1.36),
277 (+0.62), 296 (+1.38), 417 (−0.12) and 449 nm (+0.01); found:
[M]+, 318.1105. C17H18O6 requires: [M]+, 318.1103; kmax(MeOH)
223 (log e 4.32), 275 (3.90) and 442 nm (3.41); dH(400 MHz) 1.36
(3H, d, J 6.3, 3-Me), 1.57 (3H, d, J 6.6, 1-Me), 2.20 (1H, ddd, J
18.8, 10.3 and 3.6, 4-Hax), 2.79 (1H, ddd, J 18.8, 2.7 and 2.4, 4-
Heq), 3.56 (1H, ddq, J 10.3, 2.4 and 6.3, 3-H), 3.87 and 3.94 (each
3H, s, 6- and 7-OMe), 4.82 (1H, ddq, J 3.6, 2.7 and 6.6, 1-H),
6.65 (1H, s, 8-H) and 13.04 (1H, s, 9-OH); m/z (EI) 318 {[M]+,
33}, 303 (37), 273 (23), 260 (22), 259 (27), 257 (26), 245 (28), 241
(24), 217 (23), 115 (37), 95 (21), 91 (27), 77 (37), 69 (100), 67 (25),
66 (33), 65 (47), 63 (31), 59 (51), 55 (37), 53 (71) and 51 (32);
m/z (ESI–) 317.1 [M − H]−; (1R,3S)-ventiloquinone G 6, a red
solid (1.2 mg, 0.8%), mp 220 ◦C (dec.) (MeOH) (lit.7 mp 183 ◦C,
methanol–light petroleum); [a]D28 +115 (c 0.0075, methanol) {lit.7
L. M. T. is grateful for a Melbourne Research Scholarship; M. G.
is thankful for generous financial support from the Australian
Research Council. We thank Professor D. W. Cameron, University
of Melbourne, for kindly providing an authentic sample of
eleutherin.
References
1 (a) R. H. Thomson, Naturally Occurring Quinones III: Recent Advances,
Chapman and Hall, London, 3rd edn, 1987; (b) R. H. Thomson,
Naturally Occurring Quinones IV: Recent Advances, Chapman and Hall,
London, 4th edn, 1997.
2 M. A. Brimble, L. T. Duncalf and M. R. Nairn, Nat. Prod. Rep., 1999,
16, 267.
3 H. W. Moore, Science, 1977, 197, 527.
4 M. A. Brimble, M. R. Nairn and H. Prabaharan, Tetrahedron, 2000,
56, 1937.
5 P. Krishnan and K. F. Bastow, Biochem. Pharmacol., 2000, 60, 1367.
6 H. Schmid, T. M. Meijer and A. Ebnother, Helv. Chim. Acta, 1950, 33,
1751.
7 T. Hanumaiah, D. S. Marshall, B. K. Rao, C. P. Rao, G. S. R. Rao,
J. U. M. Rao, K. V. J. Rao and R. H. Thomson, Phytochemistry, 1985,
24, 2373.
18
[a]D +720 (c 0.10, MeOH)}; CD kextrema(MeOH) 273 (De +0.23),
311 (−0.10), 358 (+0.12) and 388 nm (−0.01); found: [M − H]−,
289.0725. C15H14O6 requires: [M − H]−, 289.0712; kmax(MeOH)
8 S. R. Jammula, S. B. Pepalla, H. Telikepalli, K. V. J. Rao and R. H.
Thomson, Phytochemistry, 1991, 30, 3741.
This journal is
The Royal Society of Chemistry 2006
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2006, 4, 3311–3318 | 3317
©