Novel Synthesis Route to Platensilin and Analogues

Terpenoids are a large class of secondary natural products. Some of them have an interesting polycyclic core that has attracted the interest of the research community. Examples are platensilin and it’s close relatives platensimycin and platencin. Due to their intrinsic complexity, several total synthesis groups have reported synthesis routes, but the synthesis of platensilin itself has not been reported. Now, a research group from Shandong University (China) led by Ze-Jun Xu (徐泽军) and Hong-Xiang Luo (娄红祥) has reported the total synthesis of platensilin and platensimycin as well as the formal synthesis of platencin.

The key feature of their report is the biomimetic approach, which allows the formation of all three natural products from a common precursor. With their strategy, the authors were also able to demonstrate the synthesis of analogues of the natural products. Subsequent biological studies revealed antibacterial activity of some of the analogues. One of them shows a tenfold higher activity than its parent natural product.

Read more: Asymmetric Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Platensilin, Platensimycin, Platencin, and Their Analogs via a Bioinspired Skeletal Reconstruction Approach 10.1021/jacs.4c02256