The paper describes the first total synthesis of natural varioxiranol A by chiral pool approach and confirmation of its absolute configuration by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The target varioxiranol A and its 4-epimer were obtained after 10 steps from single and available chiral source 1,2-O-isopropylidene-d-glyceraldehyde in an overall yield of 10% and 6%, respectively. A synthetic strategy based on the Julia⁻Kocieński coupling reaction between aromatic sulfone and corresponding aldose derivative makes it possible to prepare other interesting polyketide derivatives (varioxiranols B-G, varioxirane, varioxiranediols).
Keywords: 4-epi-varioxiranol A; Emericella variecolor; absolute structure; synthesis of natural products; varioxiranol A.