TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF SCHIZANDRIN, THE MAIN ACTIVE INGREDIENT ISOLATED FROM THE CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE FRUCTUS SCHIZANDRAE

In this paper,schizandrin(9), the main active ingredient isolated from Schisandra chinensis, was synthesized from gallic acid by a new route. This route consists of only nine steps,including reductive-coupling reaction of compound(5) and dehydryoxylatic reaction of compound(6) to give compounds(7Z,7E). By hydroboration, compound (8) was obtained from compound(7Z). With the presence of thallium trifluoroacetate(TTFA) and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone(DDQ) compound(9) is obtained from compound(8) by intramolecular nonphenolic oxidative coupling. These compounds were identified by elemental analysis, MS,UV, IR and NMR spectra.