A new and efficient synthesis of 6-O-methylscutellarein, the major metabolite of the natural medicine scutellarin.

In this paper, a new and efficient synthesis of 6-O-methylscutellarein (3), the major metabolite of the natural medicine scutellarin, is reported. Two hydroxyl groups at C-4' and C-7 in 2 were selectively protected by chloromethyl methyl ether after the reaction conditions were optimized, then 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (3) was produced in high yield after methylation of the hydroxyl group at C-6 and subsequent deprotection of the two methyl ether groups.