10.1016/S0040-4039(00)70093-1
The study investigates the absolute configuration of C(20) in dammarenediol-I (I) and dammarenediol-II (II). It starts with protopanaxadiol (III), a sapogenin of Ginseng saponins, which upon acid treatment yields panaxadiol (IV). Oxidation of IV leads to a 3-keto derivative (V), which is reduced to 3-deoxy-panaxadiol (VI). Further oxidation of VI gives a 12-keto derivative (VII), which undergoes Saytzeff-Villiger oxidation to form a lactone (VIII). Hydrolysis and methylation of VIII produce an amorphous methyl ester (X), which is dehydrated to an unsaturated ester (XI). Oxidation of XI results in an unsaturated keto ester (XII), which is further oxidized to yield (-) methyl cinamate (XIII). The absolute configuration of (-) linalool (XV) is known to be R, and its derivative (-) cinenic acid (XVI) is methylated to give (-) methyl cinamate. By correlating protopanaxadiol (III) to dammarenediol-I (I), the study concludes that the absolute configuration of C(20) in dammarenediol-I (I) is R and that of dammarenediol-II (II) is S.