Xiaozhen Jiao

Concise total synthesis of largazole

The concise total synthesis of largazole was accomplished. The key step included the use of the Nagao thiazolidinethione auxiliary for the diastereoselective acetate aldol reaction and it acts as an acylating agent for the peptide formation.

Total synthesis of (+)-conagenin

A new approach for the synthesis of the (+)-conagenin has been achieved based on Evans asymmetry syn-aldol reaction and the self-regeneration of stereocenters strategy.

An approach to (±)-Lingzhiol

(±)-Lingzhiol has been synthesized from commercially available 5,8-dimethoxytetralone in seven steps with an overall yield of 10.3% via an unprecedented acid-catalyzed semipinacol-type rearrangement. In addition, a novel strategy for the construction of the tetracyclic 5/5/6/6 core structure of lingzhiol has been developed via a tandem rearrangement/reduction/lactonization reaction.

Total synthesis of (+/ − )-4-demethylenglerin A

Racemic 4-demethylenglerin A (1′), a simplified analog of the guaiane-type sesquiterpene englerin A (1), has been synthesized. The cyclic hydrocarbon core structure was built through modified Metz approach using epoxynitrile cyclization and direct Aldol reaction to prepare the precursor of RCM. The primary cytotoxicity test summarized that C4 methyl has marked impacts on the bioactivity.

Total synthesis of (−)-talaumidin and (−)-galbelgin

( − )-Talaumidin (1) and ( − )-galbelgin (2) have been synthesized via 4-pentenoic acid as a starting material with the overall yield of about 17.8 and 16.9%, respectively. The key steps include Evans asymmetry anti-aldol reaction, TBS protection, hydroboration, oxidation, Friedel–Crafts arylation, etc.

Study of stereoselective synthesis of (±)-neocnidilide

Neocnidilide 1, isolated from Apium graveleues L (Umbelliferae), has shown activity to inhibit the growth of mycotoxin-producing fungi. An efficient method for the synthesis of the racemic neocnidilide by the stereoselective reaction of hemiacetal 6 with n-BuMgBr has been developed.

Total synthesis of xiamenmycin C and all of its stereoisomers: stereochemical revision.

Abstract Xiamenmycin C, a potent anti-fibrotic natural product, and all of its stereoisomers have been synthesized and their structures were fully characterized. Based on this study, the originally proposed structure of xiamenmycin C has been accordingly revised to be 2R,3S.

Concise and efficient synthesis of eliglustat

ABSTRACT Eliglustat, a ceramide glucosyltransferase inhibitor, was synthesized in six steps with 28.4% overall yield. The key features include the use of a diastereoselective aldol reaction to construct two contiguous stereocenters and a selective sulfonylation of a 1,3-diol catalyzed by dibutyltin oxide. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Design, synthesis of a novel 4-O-methylsaucerneol analogue LXY7824 as potent HIF-1 inhibitor and anti-cancer agent

Abstract Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), an important transcription factor for tumor survival, is an attractive target for anti-cancer treatment. Herein, we present the design and synthesis of LXY7824, a simplified analogue of 4-O-methylsaucerneol. In addition, its significant HIF-1 inhibitory activity and potent anti-cancer activity in vivo and in vitro were also reported.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of substituted (+)-SG-1 derivatives as novel anti-HIV agents

SG-1 was previously identified as a potent Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) which works through inhibition of reverse transcriptase (RT) RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity via a direct binding event. To further investigate the relationship between its structure and activity, four series of novel analogues were designed and synthesized with 12 of them inhibiting HIV-1 replication with IC50s in the range 0.09-6.71 μM. Compound 4b, 4c, 4f, 2 and 6b were further tested on two NNRTI-resistant HIV-1 strains and one NNRTI-resistant superbug. The result showed that RT- E138K/M184V mutant virus conferred 4.7-9.1-fold resistance to 4c, 4f, 2 and 6b, but only showed slight resistance to 4b (2-fold) which was better than SG-1.