Biomimetic synthesis and biological evaluation of Aplidiopsamine A.

The first total synthesis of Aplidiopsamine A, a rare 3H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]quinoline alkaloid from the Aplidiopsis confluata, has been achieved following the proposed biosynthesis. This biomimetic synthesis requires only five steps and proceeds in 20.8% overall yield. Biological evaluation across large panels of discrete molecular targets identified that Aplidiopsamine A is a highly selective PDE4 inhibitor, a target for numerous CNS disorders.