Ellipticine indole

Ellipticine (indole) Aspidosperma williamsii, DNA (intercalates) (TOPII)... 

Potier P, Janot M M 1973 Biogenesis of ellipticine indole alkaloids. C R Acad Sci Paris 276 1727-1729... 

Cell proliferation inhibitor Ellipticine Indole alkaloid 1039... 

Several of the naturally occurring indoles also have clinical importance. The dimeric vinca alkaloid vincristine and closely related compounds were among the first of the anti-mitotic class of chemotherapeutic agents for cancer[14]. The mitomycins[15] and derivatives of ellipticine[16] are other examples of compounds having anti-tumour activity. Reserpine, while not now a major drug, was one of the first compounds to show beneficial effects in treatment of mental disorders[17]... 

Intramolecular Mannich type reaction of the conjugated iminium salt 426 should lead to ellipticine (228) via an intermediate 427. Alternatively, the conjugated iminium salt 426 could hydrolyze to afford the 2-vinylsubstituted indole 428, which, on cyclization through an intermediate 429, would lead to guatambuine (233). This alkaloid, on demethylation and dehydrogenation, should afford olivacine (238a) (375) (Scheme 3.11). 

Backvall and Plobeck reported a formal synthesis of ellipticine (228) starting from indole (707). The [4+2] cycloaddition of 1-indolylmagnesium iodide (1208) with 3-(phenylsulfonyl)-2,4-hexadiene (1209) afforded the tetrahydrocarbazole... 

Addition of methyllithium to the lactone 1219, followed by reduction with sodium borohydride in refluxing ethanol, afforded, almost quantitatively, ellipticine (228). Reaction of the compound 1219 with the lithio derivative of formaldehyde diethylmercaptal, and reduction with sodium borohydride in refluxing ethanol, led to the mercaptal 1221. Cleavage of the mercaptal 1221 with bis(trifluoroacetoxy) iodobenzene [Phl(OCOCF3)2] in aqueous acetonitrile gave the 11-formyl derivative, which was reduced with sodium cyanoborohydride (NaBHsCN) to 12-hydroxyellipticine (232) (710,711) (Scheme 5.202). The same group also reported the synthesis of further pyiido[4,3-fc]carbazole derivatives by condensation of 2-substituted indoles with 3-acetylpyridine (712). 

Ishikura et al. reported the total synthesis of ellipticine (228) starting from N-Boc indole (1256) and the vinyl bromide 1258 (719-721). This methodology involves a palladium-catalyzed, tandem cyclization-cross-coupling reaction of the indolyl borate 1257 with the vinyl bromide 1258 as the key step. Using a literature procedure, the vinyl bromide 1258 was prepared as an E/Z mixture starting from CIS- and trans-crotyl alcohol. The indolyl borate 1257 was generated in situ from... 

The regioselectivity of 2,4-cycloaddition of furo- and pyrrolo[3,4-, ]indoles with 3,4-didehydropyridines was studied <2001EJ04543>. The results of this key reaction step in the synthesis of ellipticines are summarized in Equation (1). 

In a sequence that proceeds by tandem directed ortho metalation steps (Scheme 133) the N,N-diethyl isonicotinamide (447a) has been converted into the chemotherapeutic alkaloid ellipticine (589) (Scheme 182) (80JA1457). Thus, in a rapid, one-pot procedure, metalation of 447a followed by condensation with N-protected indole-3-carboxaldehyde derivatives leads to the intermediates 615 which, upon second metalation and aerial oxidation affords the quinones 616 in modest to good yields. Established steps were used to convert 616, R = CH2OMe into ellipticine (589), concluding a route which complements that based on the oxazolino DMG (Scheme 175). 

---