Plakoridine C, a novel piperidine alkaloid from an Okinawan marine sponge Plakortis sp

Synthesis and Antimalarial Activity of 1,4-Disubstituted Piperidine Derivatives

In order to prepare, at low cost, new compounds active against Plasmodium falciparum, and with a less side-effects, we have designed and synthesized a library of 1,4-disubstituted piperidine derivatives from 4-aminopiperidine derivatives 6. The resulting compound library has been evaluated against chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains of P. falciparum. The most active molecules—compounds 12d (13.64 nM (3D7)), 13b (4.19 nM (3D7) and 13.30 nM (W2)), and 12a (11.6 nM (W2))—were comparable to chloroquine (22.38 nM (3D7) and 134.12 nM (W2)).

Structural diversity and chemical synthesis of peroxide and peroxide-derived polyketide metabolites from marine sponges

The structural elucidation, chemical synthesis and therapeutic potential of peroxide and peroxide-derived sponge metabolites, with special focus on their intriguing structural similarities and differences from a biogenetic perspective, are reviewed.

New one-pot methodologies for the modification or synthesis of alkaloid scaffolds

There are several avenues by which promising bioactive natural products can be produced in sufficient quantities to enable lead optimization and medicinal chemistry studies. The total synthesis of natural products is an important, but sometimes difficult, approach and requires the development of innovative synthetic methodologies to simplify the synthesis of complex molecules. Various classes of natural product alkaloids are both common and widely distributed in plants, bacteria, fungi, insects and marine organisms. This mini-review will discuss the scope, mechanistic insights and enantioselectivity aspects of selected examples of recently developed one-pot methods that have been published in 2009 for the synthesis of substituted piperidines, quinolizidines, pyrrolidines, hexahydropyrrolizines, octahydroindolizines and γ-lactams. In addition, progress on the synthesis of β-carboline (manzamine) alkaloids will also be discussed.

Polyketide-peroxides from a Species of Jamaican Plakortis (Porifera: Demospongiae)

A new cyclic peroxide plakortisinic acid (1), and a new ketone derivative (2), in addition to six known compounds, an α,β-unsaturated ester (3), plakortide N (4), plakortide F (5) and its free acid (6), plakortone D (7), and a furan-containing molecule (8), were isolated from a species of Plakortis from Jamaica. The structures were elucidated by interpretation of 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and mass spectrometry data and by comparison with data from the literature. Comparison between experimental and calculated optical rotations allowed the assignment of absolute configuration of 1 and 2. The isolated compounds have been evaluated for their antimicrobial, antimalarial, anticancer, anti-Mtb, and anti HIV-1 activity.