Alkaloids biscarbazole

Bringmann (36) has also reported the synthesis of the methylene-bridged biscarbazole alkaloids, bismurrayafoline A (21) and chrestifoline A (40). The former... 

In a study of the cytotoxic effects of the alkaloids of M. euchrestifolia on human cancer cell lines, it was found that while the monomeric alkaloids murrayaquinone and murrayafoline showed significant cytotoxicity against SK-MEL-5 and Colo-205 cells, the biscarbazole alkaloids, bismurrayafoline A (21) and chrestifoline A (40) by comparison, showed only marginal cytotoxicity against HOP-92, a nonsmall cell lung cancer cell line, and LOXIMVI, a melanoma cell line, whereas chrestifoline C (42), bismurrayafoline B (22), and murranimbine (48), were inactive toward all the cell lines tested (40). 

Alkali mentholates were also involved in the first stereoselective synthesis of bismurrayaquinone A, an axially chiral biscarbazole alkaloid (Scheme 5.42). Naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids show interesting bioactivities, including strong anti-malarial and anti-leishmanial properties. Some of their dimers also exhibit high anti-HIV activities. The lactone concept allowed an efficient synthetic access to this class of alkaloids, such as korupensamines A and B (Scheme... 

McPhail, A.T., T.S. Wu, T. Ohta, and H. Furukawa Structure of ( ) Murra-foline, a Novel Biscarbazole Alkaloid from Murraya euchrestifolia. Tetrahedron Letters 24, 5377 (1983). 

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