Abstract
Bis(indolyl)methane (BIM) alkaloids are an important group of bioactive natural products
predominantly found in marine organisms. Thus, compounds like arsindoline A and B,
vibrindole A, arundine, and trisindoline are found in marine bacteria, while the related
compound, streptindole is obtained from Streptococcus faecium IB 37, found in human feces. In recent years, these molecules, which display a wide
range of biological properties (antibacterial, antiviral, anti-oxidant, neurotoxic
activity etc.), have attracted the attention of several synthetic and natural product
chemists. This review lists selected bis(indolyl)methane analogues reported from different
natural sources to date, together with their biological properties and synthesis.
1 Introduction
2 Occurrence, Isolation, Structure Elucidation, and Biological Activity
3 Synthetic Approaches towards Bis(indolyl)methanes
4 Conclusions
Key words
bis(indolyl)methanes - natural products - isolation - synthesis - bioactive metabolites