Steroidal piperidine alkaloids

Strategies based on two consecutive specific reactions or the so-called "tandem methodologies" very useful for the synthesis of polycyclic compounds. Classical examples of such a strategy are the "Robinson annulation" which involves the "tandem Michael/aldol condensation" [32] and the "tandem cyclobutene electrocyclic opening/Diels-Alder addition" [33] so useful in the synthesis of steroids. To cite a few new methodologies developed more recently we may refer to the stereoselective "tandem Mannich/Michael reaction" for the synthesis of piperidine alkaloids [34], the "tandem cycloaddition/radical cyclisation" [35] which allows a quick assembly of a variety of ring systems in a completely intramolecular manner or the "tandem anionic cyclisation approach" of polycarbocyclic compounds [36]. 

Alkaloids are basic plant natural products that typically have a nitrogen atom as part of a heterocyclic ring system and indeed are classified on this basis. Thus major classes of alkaloids are based on indole, isoquinoline, pyrrolidine, piperidine, pyrrolizidine, quinoline, tropane, quinolizidine or other heterocyclic ring systems. Other alkaloids are basic monoterpenoid, sesquiterpenoid, diterpenoid, steroid, purine, pyrimidine or peptide entities. Some of these compounds are exceptionally toxic [1,6, 7-12]. 

Numerous UCNMR investigations on alkaloids have been reported in the literature [598, 599]. In Table 5.13 the 13C chemical shifts and structures of representative alkaloids of different types are collected Pyrrolidine, piperidine and pyridine [600-602], tropane [600, 603-605], izidine [606-612], indole [600, 603, 613-633], isoquinoline [599, 630, 634-647], quinolinic [648-656], imidazole [657], yuzurimine alkaloids [658], alkaloids with exocyclic nitrogen [659, 660], diterpenoid [661-663], steroid [664-666] and peptide alkaloids [667-671], The complete signal assignment for the alkaloids given in Table 5.13 was achieved using the correlations between 13C NMR spectral parameters and structural properties and the 13C chemical shift values of model compounds described in Chapters 3 and 4 of this monograph. 

Most amphibian alkaloids are not as complex in structure as the steroidal batrachotoxins and samandarines. Of the 300 known amphibian alkaloids, most have been characterized from the skin extracts of frogs of the family Dendrobatidae and, hence, have been referred to as dendrobatid alkaloids. The major bicyclic classes of dendrobatid alkaloids are the histrionicotox-ins, decahydroquinolines, and pumiliotoxin-A class. Because of the presence of a piperidine ring in most dendrobatid alkaloids, they also have been referred to as piperidine-based alkaloids. 

There is no uniform classification for the A. In the literature divisions according to origin (examples Aconitum, Amaryllidaceae, Aspidosperma, cactus, Catharanthus, Cephalotaxus, Cinchona, coca, Corydalis, curare, Dendrobates, ergot, Erythrina, Iboga, Lycopodium, Maytenus, opium, Rauvol-fia, Senecio, Strychnos, tobacco, Vinca alkaloids, salamander, Solanum, Veratrum steroid alkaloids) in addition to divisions according to chemical structure (examples aporphine, benzylisoquinoline, bis-benzylisoquinoline, berberine, carboline, diterpene, inudazole, indole, indolizidine, isoquinoline, lupinane, macrocyclic, morphine, peptide, / -phenyl-ethylamine, piperidine, purine, pyridine, pyrrolidine, pyrrolizidine, quinoline, quinolizidine, quinucli-dine, spermine, spermidine, steroid, terpene, tro-pane, tropolone alkaloids) are used. 

The steroidal alkaloids of the jervanine subgroup are composed of a hexacyclic framework with a tetrahydrofuran E-ring, spiro-cormected to the C-nor-D-homo ABCD-system and fused to a piperidine F-ring (see F pre 1). 

Numerous species of amphibians contain substances in their skin that render them noxious or toxic to potential predators. The active substances in the skin include amines (norepinephrine and histamine), piperidines, steroidal alkaloids, bufodienolides, and tetrodotoxin (reviews in Daly et al. 1978 Daly 1982). 

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