Total Synthesis of Putative Xestocyclamine A

The first total synthesis of putative xestocyclamine A (-)-1 is reported, a compound taking center stage on the the pathway explaining the biosynthesis of a prominent family of polycyclic alkaloids (Baldwin-Whitehead pathway). The identity of the synthetic sample is unambiguous but the recorded spectral data deviate from those of xestocyclamine A reported in the literature.