Explore / Peer-reviewed article
Peer-reviewed article

Efficient and modular synthesis of ibogaine and related alkaloids.

Iyer RNiD, Favela DiD, Domokos AiD, Zhang G, Avanes AAiD, Carter SJiD, Basargin AGiD, Davis AR, Tantillo DJiD, Olson DEiD

Nature chemistryFeb 6, 2025United States17 citationsDOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01714-7

Abstract

Anecdotal reports and preliminary clinical trials suggest that the psychoactive alkaloid ibogaine and its active metabolite noribogaine have powerful anti-addictive properties, producing long-lasting therapeutic effects across a range of substance use disorders and co-occurring neuropsychiatric diseases such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Here we report a gram-scale, seven-step synthesis of ibogaine from pyridine. Key features of this strategy enabled the synthesis of three additional iboga alkaloids, as well as an enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-ibogaine and the construction of four analogues. Biological testing revealed that the unnatural enantiomer of ibogaine does not produce ibogaine-like effects on cortical neuron growth, while (-)-10-fluoroibogamine exhibits exceptional psychoplastogenic properties and is a potent modulator of the serotonin transporter. This work provides a platform for accessing iboga alkaloids and congeners for further biological study.

Topics & conditions

Detected automatically by Psychedelic Commons from the title and abstract, not labels from the source. They may be incomplete.

IbogaineDepressionPTSDAddiction

Psychedelic Commons aggregates metadata from open sources and links back to the original. Rights remain with the authors and publishers. Something wrong with this record? Report a problem.