Total synthesis, structural revision, and biological evaluation of calafianin, a marine spiroisoxazoline from the sponge, Aplysina gerardogreeni

The reported structure of the natural calafianin (1) and its isomer in the epoxide region 13 were successfully synthesized through the cis- and trans-spiroisoxazoline compounds, which were produced by electrochemical oxidation of the hydroxyimino-phenol derivative 7, followed by Zn[BH ₄] ₂ reduction. Comparison of the spectroscopic data of the synthetic (±)-1 and (±)-13 resulted in structural revision of the natural calafianin to 13, possessing the trans-relationship between an epoxide and an oxygen of the isoxazoline. In addition, a significant difference of antimicrobial activity between 1 and 13 is discussed.