Eight imidazole alkaloids were isolated from Cynometra lujae: anantine, noranantine, cynometrine, isoanantine, isocynométrine, isocynodine, hydroxyanantine and cynolujine. The syntheses of isoanatine and isocynometrine were achieved starting from 1-methyl-5-methoxycarbonyl-imidazole and those of anantine and cynometrine starting from 1-methyl-4-methoxycarbonyl imidazole.