Pitfalls in the structural elucidation of small molecules. A critical analysis of a decade of structural misassignments of marine natural products

Abstract

Covering: July 2010 to August 2021

This article summarizes more than 200 cases of misassigned marine natural products reported between July 2010 and August 2021, sorting out errors according to the structural elements. Based on a comparative analysis of the original and the revised structures, major pitfalls still plaguing the structural elucidation of small molecules were identified, emphasizing the role of total synthesis, crystallography, as well as chemical- and biosynthetic logic to complement spectroscopic data. Distinct “trends” in natural product misassignment are evident between compounds of marine and plant origin, with an overall much lower incidence of “impossible” structures within misassigned marine natural products.