Simplification of antitumoral phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids: short synthesis of cytotoxic indolizidinone and pyrrolidine analogs.

Hydroxylated seco-analogs of cytotoxic phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids were prepared in good yields from inexpensive 4-hydroxyproline derivatives, in just two steps. Thus, a sequential oxidative radical scission-oxidation was used for the direct conversion of the proline derivative into a 2-(2-aryl-oxoethyl)pyrrolidine with a variety of aryl and heteroaryl groups. The 4R-stereogenic center allowed ready isomer separation, and stereocontrol in the introduction of new chains (interestingly, the 2,4-cis isomers predominated). In the second step, a cyclization reaction afforded alkaloid analogs with an indolizidinone core; a partial isomerization took place but the isomers were readily purified. Then the cytotoxic activity of the bicyclic indolizidinones and the simpler pyrrolidine derivatives was compared against tumorogenic human neuronal SHSY-5Y and breast cancer MCF7 cells. All the biphenyl derivatives displayed a potent activity (one derivative caused >80% cell death in both tumor lines at micromolar dosis), being comparable in the pyrrolidine and indolizidinone series.