Since its establishment on June 10, 1915, in Ashide-machi of Shiba-ku, Tokyo, Japan, the Itsuu Laboratory has moved to Aoyama Minami-machi of Akasaka-ku in 1917 and Kinnocho of Shibuya-ku in 1934. During this period, in 1938, the laboratory was approved as an incorporated foundation. In its 51st year since inception, the laboratory was moved to its present location in Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, in 1966. This was a period in which new trends were observed in the field of organic chemistry as well. Until then, chemistry on natural products was focused on the structural determination of natural organic compounds, but in addition to such research, this period saw full-scale attempts globally to reproduce these compounds by total synthesis.
The Itsuu Laboratory has an important theme of research called “Pharmaceutical study of aromatic heterocyclic bases.” The goal is to establish new reactions using nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds such as pyridine, isoquinoline, and indole as building blocks and then to use them for synthesizing natural products and physiologically active substances. The Itsuu Laboratory has always adhered the following research steps: i) finding a unique reaction and then ii) using this reaction as part of the total synthesis protocol of natural products to demonstrate its usefulness.
This list provides structural formulas of natural organic compounds reproduced by total synthesis at the Itsuu Laboratory between 1968 and 2004.