The total synthesis of hyperpapuanone, hyperibone L, epi-clusianone and oblongifolin A

Polyprenylated polycyclic acylphloroglucines (PPAPs) are a family of natural products that possess a wide range of different important biological activities because of the relative position and configuration of four substituents that decorate one common central bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-2,4,9-trione core. The rigid bicyclic framework with its lipophilic side chains and its hydrophilic trione moiety represents a nature-derived lead structure that arranges the substituents (R(1) to R(4)) into a defined topographical orientation. As the substituents are responsible for the biological activities, the seven-step synthetic approach presented here sets the stage for an iterative introduction of R(1) to R(4) and thus generates structurally diverse trans-type B PPAPs. Four natural and one non-natural trans-type B PPAPs were prepared starting from acetylacetone with overall yields that ranged from 6 to 22%. The concept of separating framework construction from decorating transformations plus the minimization of protecting-group operations are the key issues for the realization of our synthetic approach.