Marine natural products. Novel C21Δ20 pregnanes from the sea raspberry (Gersemia rubiformis)
Abstract
The isolation and structure determination of pregna-1,4,20-trien-3-one (1) and a related sterol, pregna-5, 20-dien3β-ol (2) from an Alcyonacean coral, Gersemia rubiformis are described. These compounds were synthesized from appropriate steroid precursors and the orientation of the C-3 hydroxy-function unambiguously established by preparation of the epimer, pregna-5,20-dien-3α-ol.