Publication Date:
2013-01-03
Description:
Here, we report on a scalable route to the polyhydroxylated steroid ouabagenin with an unusual take on the age-old practice of steroid semisynthesis. The incorporation of both redox and stereochemical relays during the design of this synthesis resulted in efficient access to more than 500 milligrams of a key precursor toward ouabagenin—and ultimately ouabagenin itself—and the discovery of innovative methods for carbon-hydrogen (C-H) and carbon-carbon activation and carbon-oxygen bond homolysis. Given the medicinal relevance of the cardenolides in the treatment of congestive heart failure, a variety of ouabagenin analogs could potentially be generated from the key intermediate as a means of addressing the narrow therapeutic index of these molecules. This synthesis also showcases an approach to bypass the historically challenging problem of selective C-H oxidation of saturated carbon centers in a controlled fashion.
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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