Recent Advances in Synthetic Strategies for the C4a,C9a-Fused Tetracyclic Hydrocarbazole Core Structure of Minfiensine and Related Akuammiline Alkaloids

The Strychnos alkaloid minfiensine and its analogs among the akuammiline alkaloids have a variety of biological activities, including anti-tumor and analgesic activities, and have therefore attracted considerable synthetic interest.Here we provide an overview of recent advances in methodologies for the construction of the characteristic tetracyclic hydrocarbazole core structure containing a fused pyrrolidine ring at C4a and C9a.