From synthetic control to natural products: a focus on N-heterocycles

Natural products containing a N-heterocycle motif are widespread in nature and medicinal plants, in particular, have proved to be a source of almost unlimited N-derived structures with high molecular diversity. Because of their intrinsic potential for use in both biomedical and agricultural applications, there is a general need for new compounds and for the synthesis of 'natural-inspired' analogues. Importantly, transition of a natural product from discovery to a 'market lead' is associated with an increasingly challenging demand for more of the compound, which cannot be met by isolation from natural plant sources, often due to low extraction yields and uneven availability of the plant source itself. Synthesis remains the most reliable approach to provide valuable products for the market. In this review, a comprehensive overview of our contribution to synthetic access to N-derived natural products is given. Major strengths of the proposed methodologies are discussed critically. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.