Synthesis and biological properties of tensyuic acids B, C, and E, and investigation of the optical purity of natural tensyuic acid B

The first, concise total synthesis of (±)-tensyuic acids B, C, and E, using chemoselective formal SN2′ type Grignard reactions and selective esterification, is described. In addition, the optical purity of natural (±)-tensyuic acid B was determined using Chirabite-AR. Synthetic tensyuic acids, together with their intermediate compounds, were found to possess useful bioactive properties, with some of them showing potent activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei strain GUTat 3.1.