Protoberberine Mannich reaction

Hydroxyprotoberberine 59a and ( )-corytencine (98) led to 13-acetoxy compounds 104,105, and 107 moreover, the 2,3,9,10,12-pentaoxy-genated protoberberine 108 was also obtained from 98 via the p-quinol acetate 106 through a retro-Mannich reaction followed by recyclization (74,75). Oxidation in dichloromethane instead of acetic acid proceeded differently, namely, 97 and 98 led to pentaoxygenated protoberberines 103 and 109 by introduction of an acetoxyl group at C-4 and C-12, respectively, via o-quinol acetates (76). 

A one-step synthesis of the protoberberine alkaloid karachine (18), employing a presumed Mannich reaction of 4-methyl-2-trimethylsilyloxy-2,4-pentadiene with berberine, has been detailed by Stevens and Pruitt.154 It is plausible that the initial step of the one-flask reaction sequence leading to karachine is, in fact, a [4+ + 2] cycloaddition of the quaternary aromatic salt, berberine chloride, with the terminal electron-rich olefin of the silyloxydiene [Eq. (70)]. 

A one-step synthesis of the protoberberine alkaloid karachine (18), employing a presumed Mannich reaction of 4-methyl-2-trimethylsilyloxy-2,4-pentadiene with berberine, has been detailed by Stevens and Pruitt. 

Mannich-reaction (for related syntheses of protoberberine type alkaloids cf. ref. 78). 

Furthermore, the following compounds were synthetically prepared racemic cheilanthifoline (58c) (47), kikemanine (58d) (129), canadine (58e), berberine (59a) (590, 614), tetrahydropalmatine (58g) (475), sinac-tine (58h), cavidine (68d) (616,617), nandinine (58i) (590, 614, 615), capaurine (58p) (618), capaurimine (58o) (128, 618a), xylopinine (60c) (610, 615, 619), O-methylcaseanadine (62b) (70, 620), thalictricavine (68b), and corydaline (68h) (615). Xylopinine (60c) and some other alkaloids were synthesized by benzoylation of 1-alkyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinolines followed by photocyclization. This method provides a useful route to the synthesis of other protoberberine alkaloids (619). It is also applicable to the synthesis of cularine (51) and spirobenzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids (188). Xylopinine was also synthesized from the corresponding enamide under benzyne reaction conditions (615). Kametani etal. summarized their findings on the synthesis of these alkaloids and described the formation of protoberberines by debenzylation and photolysis of tetrahydroisoquinolines (622, 623). The total stereospecific synthesis of racemic ophiocarpine (70a) from the 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivative by Mannich cyclization was also described (624). 

---