Abstract The naturally occurring tetrahydroanthraquinone (1S, 3S)-austrocortilutein (1) is synthesized for the first time in enantiomerically pure form by Diels–Alder cycloaddition between the functionalized butadiene derivative (8) and the chiral 1, 3-dihydroxy-1, 2, 3, 4- tetrahydro-5, 8-naphthoquinone (9), the latter being derived from (R)-citramalic acid (3). The natural products (1S, 3S)-austrocortirubin (2) and (1R, 3R)-austrocortilutein (5) were also ...
