Synthetic Analogues to the Spermidine‐Spermine Alkaloid Tenuilobine

Naturally occurring spider and wasp toxins are potent inhibitors of glutamate receptors in the central nervous system. They consist of a polyamine backbone and carboxylic acids or amino acids linked by peptide bonds. In some respects, the plant alkaloid tenuilobine, a derivative of spermine and spermidine, shows structural similarities to these toxins. In the present paper, the synthesis of the five tenuilobine analogs 12 , 13 , 15 , 24 , and 25 is described. These derivatives differ in their aromatic carboxylic acid subunits and in the polyamine moiety.