Chemistry and biology of imidazole, oxazole and thiazole alkaloids
1College of Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China; College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Abstract:
Natural products containing five-membered nitrogen heterocycles, such as imidazole, oxazole, and thiazole rings, belong to a significant class of naturally occurring heterocyclic alkaloids. These are widely distributed in terrestrial plants, animals, marine invertebrates, and microorganisms. The complexity and diversity of the molecular architectures, as well as the inherently promising biological activities, endow these alkaloids with ideal targets of chemical synthesis and potent application in the discovery of new drugs. In this review, the latest research on the occurrence, isolation, structural characterization, biological activity, chemical synthesis, and state-of-the-art synthetic biology of these imidazole-, oxazole-, and thiazole-containing natural products was summarized. All alkaloids were classified into the corresponding subgroups according to common structural features or biological origins, with a view to convenience and rationality.
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