A stereospecific synthesis of (+/-)-5,8-disubstituted indolizidines and (+/-)-1,4-disubstituted quinolizidines found in poison frog skins.

An efficient, high-yield stereospecific route to three (+/-)-5, 8-disubstituted indolizidines, (209B (I), 209I (II), 223J (III)) and two (+/-)-1,4-disubstituted quinolizidines (207I (IV), 233A (V)), racemates of alkaloids found in the skins of neotropical and Madagascan poison frogs is reported. The structures of the natural alkaloids were thereby established by chiral GC comparison with the exception of indolizidine 209B (I) for which a natural 209B could no longer be detected.