Total synthesis of the dictyodendrins as an arena to highlight emerging synthetic technologies

Covering: 1993-2017This review discusses the isolation, biological activity, and syntheses of the dictyodendrin class of natural products, covering the years 1993-2017. The dictyodendrins are a family of alkaloids isolated from marine sponges, Dictyodendrilla verongiformis and Ianthella sp., which possess a highly substituted pyrrolo[2,3-c]carbazole core at the phenol or quinone oxidation states. Dictyodendrins exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as telomerase inhibition, BACE1 enzyme inhibition, and cytotoxicity against several cancer cell lines. The unique structure and interesting biological activities of dictyodendrins provided a platform for the application of novel synthetic methods including C-H insertion, C-H arylation, and electrocyclization cascades.