Treatment of 18beta-glycyrrhizic acid with a methanolic solution of HCl resulted in 1:1 mixture of methyl esters of 18alpha- and 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acids. Benzoylation of the mixture led to methyl esters of 3-benzoyl-18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid and 3-benzoyl-18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, which were separated by chromatography on silica gel. 18alpha-Glycyrrhetinic acid was prepared by alkaline hydrolysis of methyl 3-benzoyl-18alpha-glycyrrhetinate and was further used for the syntheses of 3-keto-18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid and methyl esters of 18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid and 3-keto-18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid.
Treatment of 18beta-glycyrrhizic acid with a methanolic solution of HCl resulted in 1:1 mixture of methyl esters of 18alpha- and 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acids. Benzoylation of the mixture led to methyl esters of 3-benzoyl-18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid and 3-benzoyl-18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, which were separated by chromatography on silica gel. 18alpha-Glycyrrhetinic acid was prepared by alkaline hydrolysis of methyl 3-benzoyl-18alpha-glycyrrhetinate and was further used for the syntheses of 3-keto-18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid and methyl esters of 18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid and 3-keto-18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid.