Etudes de lignanes

Sodium methoxide treatment of 15 followed by catalytic hydrogenolysis yielded (±)-β-conidendrin 2. Sodium methoxide treatment of 15 followed by DIBAL reduction, subsequent methylation of the intermediate lactol and catalytic hydrogenolysis afforded methyl (±)-β-conidendral 4, whose diacetate was identical with the compound of natural origin.