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Chitin-derived platforms are emerging as valuable chemical entities for the construction of nitrogenous fine chemicals in processes independent of Haber ammonia. However, much of the work in this area has focused on achiral platforms that limit routine entry into enantiopure, bio-based N-chemical space. Herein, dihydroxyethyl acetamidofuran (Di-HAF), a chiral synthon readily available from chitin, has been transformed into the marine alkaloid epi -leptosphaerin. This work extends the fledgling Haber-independent synthesis concept to enantiopure chemical space not routinely accessible from existing achiral platforms.

Thousands of known alkaloids contain a nitrogen (N) heterocycle. While five-, six- and seven-membered N-heterocycles (ie: pyrroles, imidazoles, indoles, pyridines and azepines and their saturated variants) are common, those with an eight-membered N-heterocycle are comparatively rare. This review discusses the structure and bioactivity of alkaloids that contain an azocine (or saturated azocane) ring, and the array of sources whence they originate., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A biosynthetic hypothesis proposed herein was used to guide the total synthesis of the marine-derived alkaloid hyrtioseragamine A. In the key biomimetic step, an enedione underwent acid-mediated isomerization-cyclodehydration to form the rare furopyrazine core of the natural product. The spectroscopic data for the synthetic sample is in full agreement with that described in the isolation report.

This review discusses all pyridine alkaloids with CNS activity, their therapeutic potential, and the interesting array of sources whence they originate., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A short synthesis of the natural product polyaurine B is described. The 1,2,4-thiadiazole heterocycle was assembled using a Cu(II)-mediated heterocyclization reaction that forges the N-S bond. The final acylation step to install the methylcarbamate must be conducted under anhydrous, nonbasic conditions to prevent thiadiazole ring opening initiated by attack of hydroxide at C-5.

Pseudocerosine is the pigment responsible for the bright blue color of the rim on the marine flatworm Pseudoceros indicus. Compelling evidence is provided herein that pseudocerosine is actually a pyridoacridine, not an azepinoindole as initially proposed. This study also validates a biosynthesis proposal for E-ring formation in this revered class of alkaloids, and pseudocerosine (along with its intermediates described herein) is a new branch on the pyridoacridine family tree.

The flavoalkaloids possess unique molecular frameworks that contain both a flavonoid and alkaloid component. Flavoalkaloids result from the convergence of distinct biosynthetic pathways, affording natural products that display a wide range of interesting biological activities that would not be expected for flavonoids or alkaloids alone. This chapter collates all the known flavoalkaloids up until early 2016, detailing their isolation, bioactivity, and successful total syntheses., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Herein is reported a synthesis of alocasin A (1), an alkaloid component of Alocasia macrorrhiza, a herbaceous plant used in folk medicine throughout southern Asia. A double Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction between a 3-borylindole and 2,5-dibromopyrazine was used to assemble the heteroaromatic framework of the natural product. Removal of the protecting groups gave a synthetic sample of 1, the spectroscopic data of which matched those in the isolation report of this compound.

A synthesis of putative bufopyramide has shown the structure assigned to the natural product to be incorrect. The spectroscopic data for the natural product bufopyramide matches that obtained from a synthetic sample of bufoserotonin C, confirming that the two natural products are not distinct, but instead the same compound.

The total synthesis of (-)-aspergilazine A, an alkaloid possessing a rare N1' to C6 bisindole bond, is described. A palladium-catalyzed N-arylation was used to selectively install the N1'-C6 bond in the presence of three other possible arylation sites. The ligand XPhos displayed a unique capability to efficiently carry out the N-arylation while simultaneously suppressing epimerization of the sensitive C9 stereocenters. This total synthesis has confirmed that aspergilazine A is a dimer of brevianamide F.

The dimerization of amino acid-derived α-amino aldehydes provides a short, biomimetic synthesis of several 2,5-disubstituted pyrazine natural products. The α-amino aldehyde intermediates were generated in situ by the hydrogenolysis of their Cbz-derivatives. It was found that a judicious choice of reaction solvent facilitated hydrogenolysis, dimerization and oxidation to the natural product in a one-pot operation. This methodology demonstrates the viability of a recently proposed, alternative biosynthetic route to 2,5-disubstituted pyrazines in nature. Furthermore, this work describes a novel, concise approach to pyrazines from α-amino aldehydes derived from readily available, cheap amino acids.