Employing TBN/TEMPO as the catalysts and oxygen as the oxidant, the biologically and pharmaceutically significant tetrahydro-β-carboline and β-carboline alkaloid scaffolds that used to be obtained by multi-step processes can now be selectively obtained in only one-step via direct aerobicoxidative Pictet–Spengler reactions of tryptamines with alcoholsundermildconditions, with water generated as
Several β-carbolines including naturally occurring substances and their corresponding cationic derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for antimalarial (antiplasmodial) activity in vitro and in vivo. A tetracyclic carbolinium salt was elucidated for antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activities in vitro as well as antiplasmodial activity. Quarternary carbolinium cations showed much higher potencies in vitro than electronically neutral β-carbolines and a good correlation was observed between π-delocalized lipophilic cationic (DLC) structure and antimalarial efficacy. β-Carbolinium compounds exhibit medium suppressive activity in vivo against rodent malaria.
bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that indoleamine2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) are potential targets for the development of antidepressants. A series of 1-(hetero)aryl-β-carboline derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as novel IDO1/TDO dual inhibitors. Among them, compound 28 displayed potent inhibition of both IDO1 (IC50 = 3.53 μM) and TDO (IC50 = 1