Synthetic microbial chemistry, XXXII[≠] synthesis and absolute configuration of hongoquercin A, an antibacterial sesquiterpene-substituted orsellinic acid isolated as a fungal metabolite

Abstract

(±)-Hongoquercin A (1), the racemate of an antibacterial fungal metabolite, has been synthesized starting from geranylacetone (2) and ethyl orsellinate (ethyl 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoate, 5). The structure (±)-1 has been confirmed by X-ray analysis of its ethyl ester (±)-10. Synthesis of the naturally occurring (+)-hongoquercin A from (-)-sclareol (11) established its configuration as depicted in 1.