Enantiospecific syntheses of (+)- and (−)-edulans I, II and (−)-dihydroedulans I, II, starting from (R)- and (S)-3-hydroxybutyric acid methyl esters, allowed the determination of the absolute configurations of edulansI, II.
The benzopyran derivatives 1a-d were prepared in a biomimetic-type reaction from their natural precursor 3-hydroxy-retro-alpha-ionol (6) which was available from alpha-ionol by tert-butyl chromate oxidation, reduction with NaBH4, and subsequent rearrangement of the 7,8 double bond. The so-obtained geometrical isomers 8-oxo-retro-alpha-ionol 4a/b were separated by preparative and analytical multilayer coil countercurrent chromatography. The racemic 3-oxo-retro-alpha-ionol 4a was esterified with (R)-(-)-2-phenylpropionic acid, and the resulting diastereomeric esters (5a/b) were isolated in pure form (de 90%) by preparative HPLC. Configuration at C-9 was determined by H-1 NMR spectroscopy. The isomeric diols 6a/b obtained from esters 5a/b by LiAlH4 reductive cleavage were subjected to thermal treatment (simultaneous distillation extraction), yielding two pairs of diastereomeric edulans (1a/b and 1c/d) which were subsequently obtained in optically pure form by analytical HPLC. The absolute configuration at C-8a was established by NOE experiments. Using on-line coupled multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry [DB-Wax/heptakis-(2,6-di-O-methyl-3-O-pentyl)-beta- cyclodextrin] with selected ion monitoring mode, enantiodifferentiation of 1a-d in a number of natural sources revealed predominance of the 2S enantiomers.
Etoh, Hideo; Ina, Kazuo; Iguchi, Masanobu, Agricultural and Biological Chemistry, <hi>1980</hi>, vol. 44, # 12, p. 2871 - 2876