Structure and Properties of Cholest-4α-methyl-8-en-3β,7α-diol Diacetate

Lophenol, cholest-4α-methyl-7-en-3β-ol (1), obtained from Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S. C. Chen, was structurally modified. It was acetylated to protect 3β-hydroxyl group, and then oxidised by selenium dioxide in acetic acid to give cholest-4a-methyl-8-en-3β, Ta-diol diacetate (3). This compound 3 is unstable in chloroform solution or when heated and easily converted to a diene compound, cholest-4a-methyl-7,14-dien-3β-ol acetate (4). The structures of 3 and 4 were elucidated by means of IR, ^1H NMR, ^13C NMR and MS, and the absolute configuration of 3 was established by X-ray crystallography. The property of 3 was also discussed in this paper. Both 3 and 4 are new compounds and were reported for the first time.