Absolute configuration determination of angular dihydrocoumarins from Peucedanum praeruptorum.

From Peucedanum praeruptorum, one new khellactone ester (3'R)-O-acetyl-(4'S)-O-angeloylkhellactone (3), as well as four known angular dihydropyranocoumarins (1, 2, 4, 5) have been isolated. On the basis of NMR spectra and X-ray crystallography, their structures were determined. We have elucidated their absolute configuration by either chiral separation of their alkaline hydrolysis products with Rp-18 HPLC eluted with 5% hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (beta-HCD) or by measurement of their CD spectra. A general rule relating the position and absolute streochemistry of the khellactone esters to the sign of their Cotton effects in CD curves is proposed.