Total Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Marine Tris-indole Alkaloid Tulongicin A.

Bis-indole alkaloids from marine sponges are an intriguing class of natural products with a variety of activities. However, only a preliminary biological study of tulongicin A (), a related previously isolated marine tris-indole alkaloid, has been conducted. In this study, we accomplished the first asymmetric total synthesis of via the construction of an imidazoline-linked bis-indolylmethane skeleton using a Friedel-Crafts-type reaction. Our synthesis enabled a detailed study of the antibacterial profile of . Compound displayed bactericidal activity against , including methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains.