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DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1394696
Towards the first SAR study on the Securinega alkaloids
Securinega alkaloids are an intriguing class of secondary metabolites, comprising about 30 members, isolated from plants belonging to the Securinega (Flueggea), Phyllanthus, Breynia and Margaritaria genera, Phyllanthaceae family.[1] They possess a unique tetracyclic structure featuring a strained α,β-unsaturated γ-lactone. The securinine-type (e.g. securinine 1, virosecurinine 2, phyllanthidine 3) is based on the six-membered piperidine A ring, and the norsecurinine-type (e.g. norsecurinine 4) derives from pyrrolidine. Interestingly, almost all the possible stereoisomers are naturally occurring (e.g. securinine 1, virosecurinine 2), but in different plants.
The antitumor, antimalarial, antibacterial and GABA-ergic activities of these compounds are reported. [2 – 4] However, to date no structure-activity relationship (SAR) has been described. Therefore, the first series of synthetic derivatives of virosecurinine (2) for a SAR study was prepared.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by Université Paris Descartes and CNRS. We thank the Association Lapervenchelif for the travel grant to attend GA 2014. We are also grateful to Dr. Christophe Velours (CNRS Gif/Yvette) for his technical assistance in ECD spectra recording.
Keywords: Securinega, alkaloid, GABAA receptor antagonist, Michael addition
References:
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