A series of phenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids 1–24 were prepared and first evaluated for their antiviral activity against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The bioassay results showed that most of these compounds exhibited good to excellent in vivo anti-TMV activity, of which compounds 1, 2, 15 and 16 displayed significantly higher activity than (R)-antofine and commercial Ningnanmycin at the same test condition. The substituents on the phenanthrene moiety play an important role for maintaining high in vivo antiviral activity. The introduction of 6-hydroxyl, which is proposed to interact with TMV RNA, did increased anti-TMV activity. The 14aR-configuration was confirmed to be the preferred antiviral configuration for phenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids. Introduction of hydroxy group at 15-position of phenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids increased activity for S-configuration but decreased activity for R-configuration. Present study provides fundamental support for development and optimization of phenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids as potential inhibitors of plant virus.

The first synthesis of (±)‐boehmeriasin A and B and a concise synthesis of (±)‐cryptopleurine and (±)‐hydroxycryptopleurine are described. The piperidine ring of these alkaloids was constructed by the coupling of the phenanthrene ring with 2‐bromopyridine through a nucleophilic substitution reaction and subsequent reduction of the resulting pyridyl ketone. The first crystal structure of a phenanthro‐quinolizidine alkaloid is also reported. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)

Naturally occurring phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids (R)-antofine and phenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids (R)-cryptopleurine have been synthesized in high optical purity via proline-catalyzed sequential α-aminoxylation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of aldehyde. Both enantiopure forms of proline are commercially available, and thus, in principle, both isomers of antofine and cryptopleurine can be accessed with the new method.

A series of 7-methoxycryptopleurine derivatives 2-23 were prepared and evaluated for their antiviral activity against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) for the first time. The bioassay results showed that most of these compounds exhibited excellent in vivo anti-TMV activity, of which 7-methoxycryptopleurine salt derivatives 16, 19, and 23 displayed significantly higher activity than 7-methoxycryptopleurine (1) and commercial ribavirin and ningnanmycin. Salification, the most commonly employed method for modifying physical-chemical properties, did significantly increase antiviral activity, and different salt forms displayed different antiviral effect. This study provides fundamental support for development and optimization of phenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids as potential inhibitors of plant virus.

The synthesis of (S)-(+)-tylophorine and its seco analogues has been accomplished by using free radical reaction. (−)-N-(2,3,6,7-Tetramethoxyphenanthren-9-ylmethyl)-2-bromomethylpyrrolidine (7) and (−)-N-(2,3,6,7-tetramethoxyphenanthren-9-ylcarbonyl)-2-bromomethylpyrrolidine (9) have been obtained for the first time in three and two linear steps from 2,3,6,7-tetramethoxyphenanthrene-9-carboxylic acid (4), respectively. When bromide 7 was subjected to the action of tri-n-butyltin hydride and catalytic amount of azobisisobutyronitrile in acetonitrile at reflux, only a new structural N-((2,3,6,7-tetramethoxyphenanthren-9-yl)methyl)piperidine (2) was obtained in excellent yield, without expected (+)-tylophorine. As an alternative route, when bromide 9 was treated with azobisisobutyronitrile and tri-nbutyltin hydride in toluene at reflux, tylophorin-9-one (10) was provided in 33.6% yield. At the same time, a new structural (+)-N-((2,3,6,7-tetramethoxyphenanthren-9-yl)carbonyl)-2-methylpyrrolidine (11) was afforded as the main product in 65% yield. Notably, azobisisobutyronitrile plays dual roles in this reaction, and the possible mechanism has been described. Compounds 10 and 11 were reduced by lithium aluminum hydride to give (+)-tylophorine and (+)-N-((2,3,6,7-tetramethoxyphenanthren-9-yl) methyl)-2-methylpyrrolidine (3), respectively. free radical reaction, azobisisobutyronitrile, tri-n-butyltin hydride, (S)-(+)-tylophorine, seco analogues