Determination of the absolute stereochemistry of the fungal metabolite (R)-(−)-2-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyethanoic acid (pisolithin B)

Abstract

The antifungal antibiotic pisolithin B (p-hydroxymandelic acid, 2-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyethanoic acid, 1a) was shown to have the absolute (R) configuration. The stereochemistry was established via comparison of its optical rotation to that of its synthetic (R) and (S) enantiomers. The synthetic samples were prepared by the stereospecific reduction of the prochiral α-keto acid, p-hydroxybenzoylformic acid (2-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxoethanoic acid, 2a), with (R) or (S)-2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl lithium aluminum hydride (BINAL-H). The absolute configuration and enantiomeric purity of both products were determined using the 1H NMR of their isobutyl esters in the presence of the chiral solvating agent (R)-(−)-2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(9-anthryl)ethanol. Key words: pisolithin B, p-hydroxymandelic acid, antifungal, absolute configuration.