A general strategy for the synthesis of pentacyclic Strychnos alkaloids with the curan skeleton has been developed. It utilizes 3a-(2-nitrophenyl)hexahydroindol-4-one (23), which was prepared from 2-alkyl-2-(2-nitrophenyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (15), as the common, pivotal intermediate. Three different procedures have been employed for the closure of the bridged piperidine D ring from 23 : (i) an intramolecular Michael-type conjugate addition; (ii) a Ni(COD)(2)-promoted biscyclization that assembles B and D rings in a single synthetic step, and (iii) an intramolecular cyclization of an enone-propargylic silane system. when necessary, depending on the procedure used, introduction of the oxidized one-carbon substituent at C-16, closure of the indole ring, and/or adjustment of the functionality of the C-20 two-carbon chain constitute the last stages of the synthetic route to the title alkaloids. The procedure involving the cyclization of a propargylic silane has been successfully extended to the enantiospecific synthesis of (-)-tubifolidine starting from the enantiopure 3a-(2-nitrophenyl)hexahydroindolone (-)-51, which was prepared taking advantage of the prochiral character of cyclohexanedione 15.