Progress toward total synthesis of (±)-pancrastistin

Abstract

Isolated from the roots of Pancratium littorale by Pettit et al., pancratistatin shows high antiviral and anticarcer activity. Together with its unique structure, this highly oxygenated phenanthridone-type alkaloid has led to a number of synthetic studies. Noticing the Diels-Alder reaction of 3,5-dibromo-2-pyrone with styrene 2 would readily provide the cycloadduct 3 in single step, we set out the synthetic program toward pancratistatin