(22E)-3a,6a,7a,12a-Tetrahydroxy-5b-chol-22-en-24-oic acid and its N-acylamidated conjugates with glycine or taurine were synthesized from cholic acid. The key reactions employed are: 1) degradation of the side chain in intermediary C 24 3a,6a,7a,12a-tetrahydroxylated bile acid to the corresponding C 22 23,24-dinor-aldehyde, followed by Wittig reaction with methyl (triphenylphosphoranylidene)acetate and 2) N-acylamidation of the unconjugated tetrahydroxy-D
22-5b-cholenoic acid with glycine (or taurine) in the presence of diethylphosphorocyanide and triethylamine as coupling reagents.Key words bile acid; tetrahydroxy-D
22-5b-cholenoic acid; gycine conjugate; taurine conjugate; Wittig reaction; N-acylamidation Chem. Pharm. Bull. 58(8) 1103-1106 (2010) © 2010 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan * To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: takaiida@chs.nihon-u.ac.jp Fig. 1. Structure of (22E)-3a,6a,7a,12a-Tetrahydroxy-5b-chol-22-en-24-oic Acid and Its Glycine and Taurine Conjugates (1a-c)