The structure of eryloside A, a new antitumor and antifungal 4-methylated steroidal glycoside from the sponge Erylus lendenfeldi.

The structure of a new glycoside, eryloside A [1], isolated from the Red Sea sponge Erylus lendenfeldi, has been determined by 1D and 2D nmr techniques.

Preparation of 3 beta, 5 alpha-, 3 alpha, 5 alpha- and 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydro derivatives of 19-noraldosterone by chemical synthesis and microbial bioconversion.

The 3 beta, 5 alpha-, 3 alpha, 5 alpha- and 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydro derivatives 19, 20 and 27 of 19-noraldosterone (1) were prepared to facilitate the search for these compounds in urine. The diketal 4, consisting of a 2:1 mixture of the 5,6- and 5(10)-ene isomers, was hydrogenated with Pd-C and partially hydrolyzed to 5 alpha, 10 alpha- and 5 alpha, 10 beta-dihydroketals 8 and 10 in a 1:2.5 ratio. Assignment of protons was done with aid of COSY 45 experiments. Compound 10 was reduced with diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAH) to 4 products: the 3 alpha- and 3 beta-ol hemiacetals 16 and 15, and the corresponding tetraols 14 and 13. Alternatively, hydrogenation of the 4-en-3-one 2 gave 10, its 5 beta, 10 beta-isomer 21 and the tetrahydro compound 22, in a 4:2:1 ratio. A better way to prepare the 5 beta, 10 beta-series involved microbial conversion of 2 with Clostridium paraputrificum, and the resulting tetrahydrolactone 23 was reduced with DIBAH to the hemiacetal 24. Acid hydrolysis of 16, 15 and 24 afforded 20, 19 and 27, respectively. According to [1H]-NMR, in solution 20 and 24 exist as mixtures of isomers, while 19 appears in one form only. Periodate oxidation converted 19 and 27 into their gamma-etiolactones 18 and 28. EI MS base peaks are different and characteristic for 19, 20 and 27.

Synthesis of 18,19-dihydroxycorticosterone.

A four-step synthesis of 18,19-dihydroxycorticosterone 5c, starting with 19,21-dihydroxy-3,20-dioxopregn-5-ene-18,11 beta-lactone-di-(ethylene ketal) 2, is presented. Reduction of 2 with sodium aluminum bis-(methoxyethoxy)hydride gave 11 beta,18,19,21-tetrahydroxy-pregn-5-ene-3,20-dione-di-(ethylene ketal) 3a. Acetylation furnished the corresponding 18,19,21-triacetate 3b, which on treatment with a mixture of perchloric and acetic acids gave 18,19-dihydroxycorticosterone 18,19,21-triacetate 4b. Mild saponification yielded the title compound which, on the basis of ir and nmr spectra, exists as one C-20 isomer of the hemiacetal structure 5c. Periodate oxidation of 5c gave the expected 11 beta, 19-dihydroxy-3-oxoandrost-4-ene-17 beta, 18-carbolactone 6b.

Synthesis of 18-hydroxy-19-norcorticosterone and 18-deoxy-19-noraldosterone. Structure determination of related 19-nor steroids by means of 2-D 1H nmr.

The compounds named in the title have been synthesized from the di-(ethylene ketal) of 21-hydroxy-3,20-dioxo-19-norpregn-5-ene-18, 11 beta-lactone and its 5(10)-ene isomer. Reduction of this mixture 1 with sodium aluminum bis-(methoxyethoxy)hydride furnished the 11 beta, 18, 21-triol 2a. Conversion to the 18,21-diacetate 2b, followed by deketalization to the free dione 3 and hydrolysis, afforded 18-hydroxy-19-norcorticosterone 4a which, in the solid state and probably in solution, has the 18,20-hemiacetal structure. Periodate oxidation of 4a gave 11 beta-hydroxy-3-oxo-19-norandrost-4-ene-17 beta, 18-carbolactone 5a, and acid treatment of 4a or its precursor 2a yielded 18-deoxy-19-noraldosterone 6a. The structure of 5a was confirmed by mass spectrometry and 1H nmr, and compared with that of its C-19 methyl homolog 5b and 19-noraldosterone-gamma-etiolactone 8. In particular, 2-D nmr COSY 45 experiments, affording full 1H line assignments, have rigorously established the "natural" beta (axial) configuration of the C-10 hydrogen in the 19-nor lactones 5a and 8, and therefore also in the related 4a, 6a and 19-noraldosterone 7.