The use of photochemical transformations is a powerful strategy that allows for the formation of a high degree of molecular complexity from relatively simple building blocks in a single step. A central feature of all light-promoted transformations is the involvement of electronically excited states, generated upon absorption of photons. This produces transient reactive intermediates and significantly alters the reactivity of a chemical compound. The input of energy provided by light thus offers a means to produce strained and unique target compounds that cannot be assembled using thermal protocols. This review aims at highlighting photochemical transformations as a tool for rapidly accessing structurally and stereochemically diverse scaffolds. Synthetic designs based on photochemical transformations have the potential to afford complex polycyclic carbon skeletons with impressive efficiency, which are of high value in total synthesis.

Photochemical Approaches to Complex Chemotypes: Applications in Natural Product Synthesis

In this critical review the applications of gold catalysed reactions in total synthesis during the years since our last article are reviewed. At the end of this article a literature analysis is conducted to evaluate the progress in this field.

Gold catalysis in total synthesis – recent achievements

3.1. Biosynthesis from Jatrophanes 4313 3.2. Biosynthesis from Lathyranes 4314 4. Biological Activity 4314 4.1. Antiproliferative Activity 4314 4.2. Cytotoxicity 4316 4.3. Effects on the Cell Division 4316 4.4. DNA-Damaging Activity 4316 4.5. Modulatority of Multidrug Resistance 4316 4.6. Tumor Promoting Activity 4318 4.7. Pro-Inflammatory Activity 4318 4.8. Inhibition of Allergic Reactions 4318 4.9. Antimicrobial Activity 4319 4.10. Antidiarrheal Activity 4322 4.11. Antipyretic-Analgesic Activity 4322 4.12. Molluscicidal and Antifeedant Activities 4323 4.13. Inhibitory Activity on the Mammalian Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain 4323

Chemical and Pharmacological Research of the Plants in Genus Euphorbia

Natural Science Foundation of China[30000213, 30370160, 30670214]; National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program)[2009CB522300]; Chinese Academy of Sciences

Meliaceous limonoids: chemistry and biological activities.

The value of natural products to future pharmaceutical discovery

Chlorahololides A and B, two potent and selective blockers of the potassium channel isolated from Chloranthus holostegius.

The first chemical study on the stems and leaves of Daphniphyllum yunnanense led to the isolation of five new alkaloids, daphniyunnines A−E (1−5). Daphniyunnines B−E (2−5) are four unusual C-22 nor-Daphniphyllum alkaloids. The structures of these alkaloids were characterized by spectroscopic methods, especially 2D NMR techniques. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis was used to confirm the structure of 1. Daphniyunnine D (4) showed cytotoxicity against two tumor cell lines, P-388 and A-549, with IC50 values of 3.0 and 0.6 μM, respectively.

Daphniyunnines A−E, Alkaloids from Daphniphyllum yunnanense

Ivorenolide A (1), a novel 18-membered macrolide featuring conjugated acetylenic bonds and five chiral centers, was isolated from Khaya ivorensis. The structure of 1 was fully determined by spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and bioinspired total synthesis. Both compound 1 and its synthetic enantiomer 2 showed potent and selective immunosuppressive activity.

Sheng-Ping Yang

Papers

Chlorahololides A and B, two potent and selective blockers of the potassium channel isolated from Chloranthus holostegius.

Daphniyunnines A−E, Alkaloids from Daphniphyllum yunnanense

Ivorenolide A, an Unprecedented Immunosuppressive Macrolide from Khaya ivorensis: Structural Elucidation and Bioinspired Total Synthesis

Chlorahololides C-F : a new class of potent and selective potassium channel blockers from Chloranthus holostegius

Flueggenines A and B, Two Novel C,C-Linked Dimeric Indolizidine Alkaloids from Flueggea virosa