Abstract
The design of concise and efficient synthetic strategies to access naturally occurring,
pharmaceutically active complex molecules is of utmost importance in current chemistry.
It not only enables rapid access to these molecules and their analogues but also provides
sufficient quantities for their biological evaluation. Identification of any symmetric
or pseudosymmetric synthetic intermediates upon retrosynthetic bond disconnection
of the target molecule holds the promise to significantly streamline the route towards
the compound of interest. This review will highlight recent examples of successful
natural product syntheses reported within the past five years that benefited from
the recognition of symmetry elements during the retrosynthetic design.
1 Introduction
2 Examples
2.1 Chondrosterin I and J
2.2 (–)-Bilobalide A
2.3 Delavatine A
2.4 Oxycodone
2.5 (–)-20-epi-vincamine and (–)-20-epi-eburnamonine
2.6 Reserpine
2.7 (–)-Berkeleyone A
2.8 (–)-Maximiscin
2.9 Aplysiasecosterol A
2.10 (–)-Batrachotoxinin A
2.11 (–)-Mitrephorone A
3 Conclusions
Key words
symmetry - natural products - retrosynthesis
