(±)-diinsininone:: made nature's way

We report the synthesis of diinsininone (33), the aglycone of (+/-)-diinsinin (2). Thereby, we complete the first construction of a proamhocyanidin (PA) type-A compound incorporating a [3.3.1]-bicyclic ketal as its characteristic core. Our strategy utilizes a coupling between a benzopyrilium salt and a flavanone that proves applicable to other PA type-A compounds. During this undertaking, treatment of naringenin (9) with 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) followed by reductive work-up affords eriodictyol (10). This reactivity mirrors that of catechol hydroxylase (F3H) found in the flavonoid pathway. Other interesting transformations include the formation of flavonoids through an ortho-quinone methide (o-QM) cycloaddition-oxidation sequence and regioselective beta-glycosidations of several unprotected flavanones suggesting a likely synthesis of 2 from the aglycone 33. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.