Synthesis of jaspaquinol and effect on viability of normal and malignant bladder epithelial cell lines

The synthesis of jaspaquinol 1, a monocyclic diterpene-benzenoid, is reported. Two synthetic routes to this natural product have been developed. The first, utilises a difunctional terpene derivative containing different leaving groups, facilitating the selective introduction of the cyclohexenyl and benzenoid fragments. The alternative route employs a regiospecific Stille cross-coupling reaction to introduce the cyclohexenyl fragment, which occurs without allylic transposition. Preliminary data shows the cell viability of 1 against normal and malignant human bladder epithelial cell lines.