Synthesis and antiulcer activity of novel 5-(2-ethenyl substituted)-3(2H)-furanones.

In order to investigate new antiulcer agents, spizofurone 1 (AG-629) was fragmented and reassembled to generate 5-phenyl-2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (bullatenone, 2). Because of the antiulcer activity of 2,5-phenyl-substituted 2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanones (3-6) were made and shown to have poor activity. Insertion of an ethenyl link between the furanone and phenyl rings gave 5-(2-phenylethenyl)-2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)- furanone (7).