Synthesis of bile acid 24-acyl glucuronides

The synthesis of acyl glucuronides of common bile acids is described By means of the Mitsunobu reaction employing diethylazodicarboxylate and triphenylphosphine, bile acids were condensed through the inherent C-24 carboxy group with benzyl,2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-D-glucopyranuronate which was prepared from 1-O-methyl-alpha-D-glucose, The separation and purification of the beta-anomers at the anomeric position of the sugar moiety were attained by preparative thin-layer chromatography and/or high-performance liquid chromatography on a column packed with phenyl-bonded silica using H2O-MeOH as a mobile phase. The removal of the benzyl group on the sugar moiety was achieved by catalytic hydrogenation,with 10% palladium on carbon to yield the desired acyl glucuronides of bile acids. The structures of these acyl glucuronides were confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectral properties. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc.