Hyptatic acid-A (32), a 2alpha,3beta,24-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid, previously isolated from Hyptis capitata, was obtained from maslinic acid (2). The regioselective cyclopalladation of the axial methyl group on C-4 of maslinic acid afforded the C-24 hydroxymethylene group due to the presence of a C-2-OR substituent. Nevertheless, hederagenin (7) (23-hydroxy derivative) was formed when this oxygenated group was not present.

Several triterpenic derivatives, with the A-ring functionalized, were semisynthesized from oleanolic and maslinic acids. The reactivities of sulfites, sulfate, and epoxides in these triterpene compounds were investigated under different reaction conditions. Moreover, contracted A-ring triterpenes (five-membered rings) were obtained, by different treatments of the sulfate 7. From the epoxide 8, deoxygenated and halohydrin derivatives were semisynthesized with several nucleophiles. Ozonolysis and Beckmann reactions were used to yield 4-aza compounds, from five-membered ring olanediene triterpenes. The X-ray structure of sulfate 7 is given and compared with density functional theory geometries. Theoretical (13)C and (1)H chemical shifts (gauge-invariant atomic orbital method at the B3LYP/6-31G*//B3LYP/6-31G* level) and (3)J(H,H) coupling constants were calculated for compounds 5-9 and 34-36, identifying the (R)- or (S)-sulfur and alpha- or beta-epoxide configurations together with 4-aza or 3-aza structures.

Different lipase enzymes have been tested in order to perform regioselective acetylations on the eudesmane tetrol from vulgarin. High yields (95%) of 1,12-diacetoxy derivative (4) were achieved in 1 h with Candida antarctica lipase (CAL). However, only the 12-acetyl derivative (6) was obtained in similar yield with Mucor miehei (MML) or Candida cylindracea (CCL) lipases. The enzymatic protection at C-1 and C-12 has been used to form eudesmane cyclic-sulfites between C-6 and C-4 atoms. The R/S-sulfur configuration has been assigned by means of the experimental and theoretical (13)C and (1)H NMR chemical shifts. The theoretical shifts were calculated using the GIAO method, with a MM+ geometry optimization followed by a single-point calculation at the B3LYP/6-31G(*) level (B3LYP/6-31G(*)//MM+). Moreover, B3LYP/6-31G(*) geometry optimizations were carried out to test the B3LYP/6-31G(*)//MM+ results, for the deacetylated sulfites (12 and 15). In addition to the delta(C) and delta(H) shifts, the (3)J(HH) coupling constants were also calculated and compared with the experimental values when available. Finally, different reactivities have been checked in both sulfites by biotransformation with Rhizopus nigricans. While the R-sulfite gave 2 alpha- and 11 beta-hydroxylated metabolites, the S-sulfite yielded only regioselective deacetylations. Furthermore, both sulfites showed different reactivities in redox processes.

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Maslinic acid was obtained from olive-pressing residues, and several derivatives were formed. Rearrangements of 2-tosyloxy-derivatives of methyl maslinate made out by acetolysis. The main product of these rearrangements contained a cyclopentanic A-ring as a result of a concerted 2(3) → 4-abeo rearrangement process. Experimental and theoretical (GIAO, B3LYP/6-31G*//MM+) 13C NMR chemical shifts for 20 compounds are given.