Salvinorin B methoxymethyl ether

The title compound [MOM-SalB; systematic name: methyl (2S,4aR,6aR,7R,9S,10aS,10bR)-2-(3-fur-yl)-9-meth-oxy-meth-oxy-6a,10b-dimethyl-4,10-dioxo-2,4a,5,6,7,8,9,10a-octa-hydro-1H-benzo[f]isochromene-7-carboxyl-ate], C(23)H(30)O(8), is a deriv-ative of the κ-opioid salvinorin A with enhanced potency, selectivity, and duration of action. Superimposition of their crystal structures reveals, surprisingly, that the terminal C and O atoms of the MOM group overlap with the corresponding atoms in salvinorin A, which are separated by an additional bond. This counter-intuitive isosterism is possible because the MOM ether adopts the 'classic anomeric' conformation (gauche-gauche), tracing a helix around the planar acetate of salvinorin A. This overlap is not seen in the recently reported structure of the tetra-hydro-pyranyl ether, which is less potent. The classic anomeric conformation is strongly favoured in alk-oxy-methyl ethers, but not in substituted acetals, which may contribute to their reduced potency. This structure may prove useful in evaluating models of the activated κ-opioid receptor.