We have previously reported that neoechinulin B (
1a
), a prenylated indole
diketopiperazine alkaloid, shows antiviral activities against hepatitis C virus (HCV)
via the inactivation of the liver X receptors (LXRs) and the resultant disruption of
double-membrane vesicles. In this study, a two-step synthesis of the diketopiperazine
scaffold of
1a
was achieved by the base-induced coupling of
1,4-diacetyl-3-{[
(tert
-butyldimethylsilyl)oxy]methyl}piperazine-2,5-dione
with aldehydes, followed by the treatment of the resultant coupling products with
tetra-
n
-butylammonium fluoride. Compound
1a
and its 16
derivatives
1b
–
q
were prepared using this method.
Furthermore, variecolorin H, a related alkaloid, was obtained by the acid treatment of
1a
in MeOH. The antiviral evaluation of
1a
and its
derivatives revealed that
1a
,
1c
,
1d
,
1h
,
1j
,
1l
, and
1o
exhibited both
anti-HCV and anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
activities. The results of this study indicate that the exomethylene moiety on the
diketopiperazine ring is important for the antiviral activities. The antiviral compounds
can inhibit the production of HCV and SARS-CoV-2 by inactivating LXRs.