Several macrocyclic lactones of the trichothecene class of compounds exhibit significant anticancer activity.' A common structural subunit in each of these lactones is the sesquiterpene verrucarol(1). Anguidin (2), a more highly oxygenated analogue, also shows inhibitory activity against several cancers., Calonectrin (3), considered to be the biogenetic precursor to verru~arol,~ has recently been isolated.

An efficient synthesis of 9-deoxykalafungin (lb) in six steps from readily available starting materials is described. The key step, in which all of the carbon atoms present in the target molecule are assembled, is the addition of 2-tert-butoxyfuran to 2-acetyl-l,4-naphthoquinone. Hydride reduction, followed by removal of the tert-butyl protecting group and addition of the C-1 alcohol to the unmasked hutenolide, affords intermediate 13, which can be oxidized with argentic oxide to lb in 17% overall yield.

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Aus dem Acetylnaphthochinon (I) und dem Alkoxyfuran (II) bildet sich das Michael‐Addukt (III), das zu (IV) methyliert wird.

Es wurde das meso‐ bzw. das rac.‐Pentantetrol‐(l,2,4,5) aus den entsprechenden Dihydroxyglutarsäuren bereitet, Das racemische Tetrol wurde über die d‐campherketale in die Enantiomeren gespalten.