The unique polycyclic fused ring systems of Daphniphyllum alkaloids,
along with their extensive bioactivities, make this family of alkaloids
especially attractive targets for total synthesis and biogenetic studies.
Successive discoveries of new alkaloids with unprecedented skeletons have
made a great contribution to structural diversities of alkaloids elaborated
by plants of the genus Daphniphyllum. By the end of 2008, more than
200 alkaloids belonging to 14 different skeletal types have been isolated
from different parts of plants of thirteen Daphniphyllum species.
These alkaloids show cytotoxic, antioxidant, vasorelaxant, and antiplatelet
activating factor effects. The plausible biosynthetic pathways for
Daphniphyllum alkaloids have been proposed and biomimetic total
syntheses of some alkaloids completed. To provide an update of the previous
reviews published in 2009, new structures, synthesis, and bioactivity of
Daphniphyllum alkaloids reported in recent years are presented in
this article. In the meantime, an additional 54 novel alkaloids have been
isolated and identified. Among them, some possess unprecedented frameworks.
Several inspired organic syntheses were completed.