Csir-Indian Institute Of Chemical Technology(Csir-Iict), Hyderabad
vamshiydl8@gmail.com
Project Overview
Alkaloid, a class of naturally occurring organic nitrogen-containing bases, most commonly
found in higher plants, though they are also present in the animal kingdom. Certain plant
families are particularly rich sources of alkaloids, in particular Apocynaceae family is a good
example. Strychnos camptoneura Gilg et Busse and Strychnos angustiflora Benth. are large
liana medicinal plants found in West and northern Central Africa, as well as southern China.
The Antirhine indole alkaloids present in their stem bark and root bark possess strong muscle
relaxant properties and have been widely used in traditional medicine to treat conditions such
as rheumatoid arthritis, traumatic injuries, and myasthenia gravis. Recent biological and
pharmacological studies of the plant genus Alstonia have found a wide variety of activities such
as antimicrobial, antimalarial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, CNS
depressant, antifertility, and antiprotozoal activities (J. Ethnopharmacol., 2014, 153, 1). To
date, more than 400 chemical compounds have been identified from the genus Alstonia,
including alkaloids, triterpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids, phenolic acids, lignans, and volatile
oils. Among these alkaloids, particularly monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) are regarded
as the primary bioactive constituents and are the most prevalent in Alstonia species
(Arab. J. Chem., 2023, 16,104857). Corynantheine-type alkaloids are principal constituents of
Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, and enantioselective total synthesis of (-)
corynantheidine pseudoindoxyl is described for their distinctive pharmacological activities (J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 118-124), and flavoalkaloids exerted moderate antiplasmodial
activities (Molecules 2020, 25, 2654).
Antirhine core-containing alkaloids, which include numerous biologically active natural
products, can be efficiently synthesized through strategic methods to produce larger quantities
needed for biological research and analogs development. This approach also yields potent
intermediate compounds during synthesis. Additionally, simplified structural analogs that
retain biological activity can be designed and synthesized, offering potential alternatives to the
original molecules.