18F-barbiturates are PET tracers with diagnostic potential in Alzheimer's disease.

Three fluoro-barbiturates were synthesised, showing in vivo sedative efficacy. One of them, [(18)F], was synthesised in radiofluorinated form. PET/CT Imaging with [(18)F] identified β-amyloid over-expressing transgenic mice (βA mice) compared to wild type and tau lines.

Synthesis of 1,2-dihydroxyindolizidines from 1-(2-pyridyl)-2-propen-1-ol.

1-(2-Pyridyl)-2-propen-1-ol, obtained by vinylation of commercially available picolinaldehyde, resulted a good starting material for the synthesis of the indolizidine skeleton. In particular, a simple process involving bromination, reduction, and nucleophilic substitution (via elimination and addition) allowed an easy conversion of the starting material into (±)-lentiginosine in ~27% overall yield.