Plant extracts of the Celastraceae have been used for centuries throughout South America and China as insect repellents and insecticides in traditional agriculture, and also for the treatment of a plethora of medical ailments from stomach complaints and fever to rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. Many of the medicinally interesting properties associated with these crude preparations have now been attributed to a large family of highly oxygenated sesquiterpenoids based on a tricyclic dihydroagarofuran skeleton. In this article, the structural diversity and range of biological activities associated with this intriguing class of natural products are examined with a view to stimulating interest in their total synthesis. Existing synthetic endeavours towards their synthesis are also evaluated.

A complex interplay between catalyst structure, acylating agent, auxiliary base, and solvent governs the reactivity and selectivity in 4‐(dialkylamino)pyridine‐catalyzed esterification reactions (see scheme). This highlight attempts a rationalization of the complicated mechanism and puts forward some explanations for seemingly contradictory experimental observations.

Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of heteroaryl polyhalides with aryl boronates are surveyed. Drawing on data from literature sources and Pfizer's global chemistry RKB and CAS Scifinder® databases, factors that determine the site-selectivity of these reactions are discussed with a view to rationalising the trends.

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