Methods of Alkaloids Synthesis

Abstract

The investigation of plants used in traditional medicine in the early nineteenth century found alkaloids have developed into a group of natural products with exceptional structural and taxonomic diversity, as well as important chemical, biological, and medicinal importance. Since the early twentieth century, only a few routes have been thoroughly explored, and researchers have struggled to grasp their biogenesis and biosynthesis. Even for many pharmaceutically important alkaloids, there is still much to learn about how alkaloids are generated in nature, despite recent enzymatic efforts that have significantly advanced our understanding of this process. Certain aspects of empirically determined or speculated mechanistic routes of alkaloids creation are explored, with an emphasis on clinically relevant alkaloids.