Synthesis and conformational study of 3,4-carbocyclic bridged indole melatonin and serotonin analogues

Tetrahydrobenz[cd]indole, has been usually assumed to be a rigid scaffold of arylethylamines of pharmaceutical interest, such as melatonin and serotonin. A series of molecules containing this scaffold has been synthesized and their conformation in solution has been determined by 1H NMR. The values of the coupling constants show that the carbocycle fused with the indole ring is a mixture of the two conformers with substituent in equatorial or axial orientation. The molar fraction of the conformers appears to be sensibly affected by the bulkiness of the C-2 indole substituent. A pseudo-axial orientation of the C-3 alkylamido side chain is important for melatonin ligands to access the binding site and exhibit potent in vitro affinity, as illustrated for melatonin ligand 1 (pK(i)=9.32).