Total syntheses of (-)- and (+)-boronolide and their plant growth-inhibitory activity.

Optically pure (+)- and (-)-boronolides were stereoselectively synthesized from yeast reductive products which had been obtained by yeast reduction of one common racemic substrate. The lactone structure of boronolide was constructed by Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. The stereochemistry of the yeast reduction products was studied to obtain the stereocenters at 5 positions of the dodecanolides of (+)- and (-)-boronolides. The stereochemistry of the 6 and 7 positions was obtained by AD-mix-α or β oxidation. The chiral center at the 8 position was constructed by employing (R)-(+)- or (S)-(-)-2-methyl-CBS-oxazaborolidine reduction or the Mitsunobu reaction. The plant growth-inhibitory activity against Echinochloa crusgalli L. of naturally occurring (+)-boronolide was higher than that of the (-)-boronolide.