Abstract

Daphniphyllum alkaloids are a growing group of secondary metabolites of great structural diversity, with complex polycyclic skeletons from Daphniphyllum plants. A large number of new Daphniphyllum alkaloids with novel frameworks have been isolated from Daphniphyllum species in the past decade. These unusual structural characteristics will attract the attention of scientists in the fields of organic synthesis, bioactivity evaluation and biosynthetic studies. This review lists all the Daphniphyllum alkaloids as well as their biosynthesis, bioactivity and synthesis reported by the end of first half of 2008.

Keywords: Daphniphyllum, alkaloids, secondary metabolites, polycyclic skeletons, organic synthesis, biosynthesis, bioactivity