Amaryllidaceae and Sceletium alkaloids

Abstract

Covering: July 2006 to June 2008. Previous review: Nat. Prod. Rep., 2007, 24, 886–905.

Alkaloids from the plants of Amaryllidaceae family consist of an unique class of nitrogen-containing compounds showing diverse and significant biological activities, including anticancer and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities. This review summarizes the research into the isolation, structure elucidation, biological activity, and chemical synthetic aspects of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids over the last two years. In addition, structurally closely related Sceletium alkaloids are also discussed.