Experiments towards a synthesis of antheridiol: a synthesis of biologic-ally active material

Abstract

A conversion of diosgenin into a product exhibiting the biological activity of antheridiol (but at a lower level) is described. The product is either an active stereoisomer of antheridiol, or, more probably, a stereoisomer con-taminated with antheridiol. In the course of the synthesis novel conditions were used for (i) the reduction of a hindered ketone in the presence of ester and lactone functions and (ii) an oxidative demethoxycarbonylation reaction to introduce a double bond.