Approaches to a synthesis of α-kainic acid

alpha-Kainic acid A, first isolated in 1953 from the marine alga Digenea simplex,(1) is the parent member of the kainoids displaying potent anthelmintic properties and neurotransmitting activity(2,3) in the central nervous system. Among these properties, the neuroexcitatory activity is attributed to their trans C-2/C-3 : cis C-3/C-4 structure and the functionality at the C-4 center beside the 2-carboxy and 3-carboxymethyl functionalities.