Total Synthesis of (±)-Agastinol

A synthesis of the tetrahydrofuran lignan (±)-agastinol, starting from the cheap Vanillin, has been developed based on Stobbe reaction with diethyl succinate to give the skeleton of lignan, which was then reduced to afford meso- and threo-(±)-secoisolanciresinol. threo-(±)-Secoisolanciresinol was treated with DDQ in acetic acid to give the 2-aryl tetrahydrofuran lignan, and which was then condensed with ferulic acid to give (±)-agastinol for the first time.