(2R,3R,5R,6S)-5-Bromo-2-{[(2R,3R,5R)-3-bromo-5-(propa-1,2-dien-1-yl)tetrahydro-furan-2-yl]methyl}-6-ethyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-3-ol

As a part of an SAR study aimed at testing the antitumor activity of some C15 acetogenins related to mycalin A, we report here the synthesis of the C-1 debromo-derivative of laurenciallene, a substance recently isolated from the red alga Laurencia obtusa. This new substance has been obtained by the selective, reductive debromination of the terminal bromoallene moiety of laurenciallene with Zn/AcOH. Its structure has been fully characterized by spectral methods, including 2D-NMR spectra.