Employing an intramolecular Michael addition as a pivotal step, buteno
lide 5, furans 6 and 7 have been converted to dioxaspiro compounds 8,
9, 10 and Il,whose heterocyclic frameworks constitute important struct
ural units of prehispanolone (2) as well as 14,15-dihydroprehispanolon
es (3) and (4), respectively. Hispanolone (1) was converted to 2, 3 an
d 4 by utilizing a similar strategy. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Scien
ce Ltd