A convenient synthesis of the traditional medicine constituents magnolamide, lobechine and funebral is described. Construction of the 2‐formylpyrrole core of these natural products was achieved by means of a Maillard reaction, involving condensation of the sugar surrogate, dihydropyranone 9, with the requisite primary amines. This approach offers a very direct and general route to the 2‐formylpyrrole ring system.

A highly convergent total synthesis of 7',8'-dihydroaigialospirol is described. Key steps of the synthesis include a Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) coupling of an iodoalkyne with an advanced phthalide-aldehyde and a remarkable one-pot acid-mediated global deprotection/spiroacetalization.

Neutrality is the best policy: Key features of the first total synthesis of paecilospirone include an anti‐selective, lactate‐derived aldol reaction, and a double deallylation/spirocyclization conducted at neutral pH to construct the sensitive hydroxy‐substituted benzannulated spiroacetal (see scheme; Bn=benzyl, TBS=tert‐butyldimethylsilyl, TES=triethylsilyl).

Twenty nine novel spiroketal derivatives related to the rubromycins were evaluated for their anti-telomerase activity using the real-time quantitative telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. The parent compound g-rubromycin exhibited the highest potency against human telomerase activity within the series. Modification of the spiroketal motif by the introduction of heteroatoms and substituents at different positions produced analogues with varying bioactivity. Variation at the isocoumarin subunit of the title compound resulted in weaker activity, indicative of its importance in telomerase inhibition.

Neutralität ist die beste Taktik: Zu den Schlüsselelementen der ersten Totalsynthese von Paecilospiron gehören eine anti‐selektive, auf einem Lactat aufbauende Aldolreaktion und eine doppelte Desallylierung/Spirocyclisierung im neutralen pH‐Bereich, um das empfindliche hydroxysubstituierte benzanellierte Spiroacetal aufzubauen (siehe Schema; Bn=Benzyl, TBS=tert‐Butyldimethylsilyl, TES=Triethylsilyl).