Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Gracilamine and Determination of Its Absolute Configuration.

(+)-Gracilamine, a biologically attractive and structurally unique pentacyclic Amaryllidaceae alkaloid, was biomimetically synthesized in 11 linear steps in 9.9% overall yield from the known racemic oxocrinine. The synthesis features an asymmetric hydrogenation, a ring-opening/benzylic oxidation/cyclization sequence, and a biomimetic intramolecular cycloaddition. This total synthesis not only allows the assignment of its absolute configuration, but also provides experimental support for the hypothesis that naturally occurring (+)-gracilamine is biogenetically derived from the crinine-type alkaloid (+)-epivittatine.