Isolation and complete structural assignment of Lycopodium alkaloid cernupalhine A: theoretical prediction and total synthesis validation.

Cernupalhine A (1) is a trace Lycopodium alkaloid (0.7 mg) possessing a new C17N skeleton with an unusual hydroxydihydrofuranone motif newly isolated from Palhinhaea cernua L. Its complete structural assignment, including absolute stereochemistry, was established through a combination of high-field NMR techniques and computational methods and further unequivocal confirmation by the first asymmetric total synthesis. Following the first total synthesis of lobscurinine (3), 1 was achieved via regio- and stereoselective cyanide ion addition and subsequent acid treatment.