The relationship between sweetness and structure was studied for several analogues of the intensely sweet sesquiterpene, hernandulcin. These derivatives were prepared synthetically, and were spectroscopic and conformational analysis. With the exception of the parent substance, none of the derivatives tested proved to be sweet. Evidence gathered in this study suggests that hernandulcin binds to its putative receptor through a three-point interaction, involving the C-1 carbonyl and C-1' hydroxyl groups, and the double bond between C-4' and C-5'. In the course of a preliminary safety assessment, the 3-desmethyl derivative of hernandulcin was found to be mutagenic toward Salmonella typhimurium strain TM677.
Current efforts devoted to the synthesis of Bafilomycin A(1) led us to investigate a synthetic route through a spiroketal intermediate for the construction of the C15-C25 subunit. Preliminary studies for the diastereoselective installation of the methyl-16 cis with respect to the vicinal OH-15 group through radical opening of either siloxafuran intermediate 7 or cyclopropyl compounds 9 and 13 have been carried out using model compounds derived from commercial Indalone 6. In each case the expected "cis" diastereoisomer was obtained in good to excellent yield. Application of these results to Bafilomycin A(1) synthon led to the opposite "trans" stereoselectivity when alpha-carboxy- or alpha-keto-substituted spiroketals 4 or 19 were used. However, the expected potential intermediate has been obtained from the alpha-hydroxymethyl cyclopropanated synthon 21. A Barton-Motherwell xanthate radical deoxygenation-cylopropane opening methodology, followed by a hydroboration-oxidation of the exovinylic intermediate, delivered the expected product 22cis in high yield and excellent stereoselectivity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.