Synthesis 2009(11): 1815-1820  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1088076
PAPER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

A New and Expedient Total Synthesis of Ochratoxin A and d 5-Ochratoxin A

Bartolo Gabriele*a, Mohamed Attyab, Alessia Fazioa, Leonardo Di Donnab, Pierluigi Plastinaa, Giovanni Sindonab
a Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università della Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (Cosenza), Italy
Fax: +39(984)492044; e-Mail: b.gabriele@unical.it;
b Dipartimento di Chimica, Università della Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (Cosenza), Italy
Further Information

Publication History

Received 5 February 2009
Publication Date:
27 April 2009 (online)

Abstract

A new total synthesis of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is presented, in which it is prepared in 9% overall yield from commercially available substrates. The key step consists of the condensation reaction between protected l-phenylalanine and 5-chloro­-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-oxoisochromane-7-carboxylic acid (ochratoxin α, OTα). The same strategy could be successfully applied to l-d 5-phenylalanine, leading to the first total synthesis of d 5-OTA, a molecular tracer for the detection and analytical quantification of the natural mycotoxin in food samples by means of stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA).

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The only method reported in the literature so far for the synthesis of d 5-OTA (2a) was based on a semi-synthetic sequence involving: (a) acid hydrolysis of OTA to give (R)-OTα; (b) conversion of (R)-OTα into the corresponding acyl chloride by reaction with SOCl2; (c) reaction between the acyl chloride and l-d 5-phenylalanine methyl ester to give methyl-protected d 5-OTA; (d) deprotection of the latter with NaOH in MeOH to give d 5-OTA (2a). The overall yield based on starting OTA was 5% over 4 steps. See ref. 5a.