The collisionally-induced dissociation mass spectra of a variety of organic sulfate ester anions are described and mechanistically rationalized. A cyclic syn-elimination pathway, analogous to that of the Cope elimination, is postulated for the commonly observed formation of bisulfate anion (HSO 4 Ϫ , m/z 97). Deuterium labeling experiments confirm that the proton transferred to oxygen during bisulfate elimination normally originates from the C-2 position, although examination of the spectra of polyfunctional steroids reveals that the proton abstracted may originate from more distant sites as well. Adamantyl, phenyl, and vinyl sulfate anions, which do not readily lend themselves to a cyclic syn-elimination, do not give rise to an m/z 97 ion. Instead, these sulfates undergo both heterolytic and homolytic S-O bond cleavages to yield an m/z M Ϫ 80 anion, resulting from loss of neutral SO 3 , as well as an ion at m/z 80, corresponding to SO 3 Ϫؒ , respectively. Sulfates that can give rise to a resonance stabilized radical by homolytic C-O bond fission, as exemplified by benzyl and linalyl sulfates, can be recognized by the formation of an m/z 96 (SO 4 Ϫؒ ) ion.

Akuammiline alkaloids are a family of monoterpene indole alkaloids of renewed medicinal interest. These bases act as ligands for a heterogeneous group of molecular targets and, consequently, display a wide variety of pharmacological activities. For example, pseudoakuammigine (2) exhibits opioid activity in vivo, echitamine (4) has been reported to have promising cytotoxic activity, and corymine (121) behaves as an antagonist of the glycine receptor. Oddly enough, these alkaloids have not raised enough interest in the organic synthesis community, remaining inaccessible; even the entry to their pentacyclic framework continues elusive. Recently, several akuammiline bases have been isolated and identified including bisindole alkaloids, such as vingramine (103) or rausutrine (110), which incorporate akuammiline-type subunits. This review covers the advances in the chemistry and pharmacology of akuammiline alkaloids reported within the last ten years.

A general strategy for the synthesis of pentacyclic Strychnos alkaloids with the curan skeleton has been developed. It utilizes 3a-(2-nitrophenyl)hexahydroindol-4-one (23), which was prepared from 2-allyl-2-(2-nitrophenyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (15), as the common, pivotal intermediate. Three different procedures have been employed for the closure of the bridged piperidine D ring from 23:  (i) an intramolecular Michael-type conjugate addition; (ii) a Ni(COD)2-promoted biscyclization that assembles B and D rings in a single synthetic step, and (iii) an intramolecular cyclization of an enone−propargylic silane system. When necessary, depending on the procedure used, introduction of the oxidized one-carbon substituent at C-16, closure of the indole ring, and/or adjustment of the functionality of the C-20 two-carbon chain constitute the last stages of the synthetic route to the title alkaloids. The procedure involving the cyclization of a propargylic silane has been successfully extended to the enantiospecific synthesis of (−)-tubifolidine starting from the enantiopure 3a-(2-nitrophenyl)hexahydroindolone (−)-51, which was prepared taking advantage of the prochiral character of cyclohexanedione 15.

A total synthesis of (-)-strychnine in 15 steps from 1,3-cyclohexanedione in 0.15% overall yield is described. The sequence followed in the assembling of rings is: E-->AE [2-(2-nitrophenyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione]-->ACE (3a-aryloctahydroindol-4-one)-->ACDE (arylazatricyclic core)-->ABCDE (strychnan skeleton)-->ABCDEF (Wieland-Gumlich aldehyde)-->ABCDEFG (strychnine). The key steps of the synthesis are the enantioselective construction of the 3a-(2-nitrophenyl)-octahydroindol-4-one ring system and the closure of the piperidine ring by a reductive Heck cyclization to generate the pivotal intermediate (-)-14. In contrast, a Lewis acid promoted a-alkoxypropargylic silane-enone cyclization did not lead to synthetically useful azatricyclic ACDE intermediates. The introduction of C-17 and the closure of the indoline ring by reductive amination of the alpha-(2-nitrophenyl) ketone moiety complete the strychnan skeleton from which, via the Wieland-Gumlich aldehyde, the synthesis of (-)-strychnine is achieved.

The secretion of the paracloacal glands of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) contains over 80 lipophilic compounds, including saturated and unsaturated long-chain alcohols along with their formic, acetic, and butyric acid esters, and several isoprenoids. Most of these compounds were identified on the basis of mass spectra, obtained by GC-MS. In addition, identification of the major components was supported by infrared spectra obtained by GC-FTIR. Major differences are indicated in the composition of the paracloacal gland secretion of C. acutus and that of another crocodylid, the African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis).