Synthesis Strategies for α‐, β‐, γ‐ and δ‐Carbolines

Abstract

AbstractCarbolines are widely present in various natural products and biological molecules. Numerous studies have shown the broad biological activities of these heterocyclic motifs, such as anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antiarrhythmic, and antidepressant activities, making carbolines very important in pharmaceutical applications. According to the different positions of nitrogen atom on the pyridine ring, carbolines are divided into four types, named α‐, β‐, γ‐ and δ‐carbolines. So far, numbers of strategies have been developed for each carboline, whereas the synthetic methods of four carbolines are different from each other. In this review, the synthetic strategy of four carbolines were summarized, providing the potential use of these scaffolds in therapeutic applications.