Stereochemical studies of a cruciferous oxindole phytoalexin,(S)-(-)-spirobrassinin [(-)-4], and its oxazoline analogue, spirooxazoline (11), were carried out. Racemic spirobrassinin [(±)-4] was synthesized by SOCl2-or MsCl-mediated cyclization of dioxibrassinin [(±)-8]. Treatment of (3-hydroxyoxindol-3-yl) methylammonium chloride [(±)-9] with CSCl2 and subsequent methylation of the obtained spirooxazolidinethione (±)-10 afforded ...