Effect of Benzylic Oxygen on the Cytotoxic Activity for Colon 26 Cell Line of Phenolic Lignans

A cytotoxic decahydronaphthalenylpropenal derivative and tetrahydrofuran lignans from the stems of Cameraria latifolia

A new decahydronaphthalenylpropenal derivative, (+)-camerarialdehyde (1), a new tetrahydrofuran lignan, (-)-diepiolivil (2), and two known lignans were isolated from a methanol-soluble extract of the stems of Cameraria latifolia, which was obtained from a repository donated to IHVR by Merck Research Laboratories. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were determined by interpretation of their spectroscopic data, with the absolute configuration of 1 being established by analysis of its CD spectrum. The absolute configuration of the 1,3-diol moiety of 2 was proposed from the CD spectrum induced with dimolybdenum tetraacetate in DMSO solution. All compounds isolated were evaluated against HT-29 human colon cancer cells, and compound 1 was found to show cytotoxicity toward this cell line.

Isochaihulactone analogues: synthesis and anti-proliferative activity of novel dibenzylbutyrolactones

A series of dibenzyl-γ-butyrolactones bearing a hydroxyl group at the benzylic position of 3-benzyl group were synthesized as hydrated analogue of isochaihulactone and evaluated against breast cancer human cell lines (MDA-M231, MCF-7 and T47D). The target compounds were synthesized in 7 steps from known lactone; (S)-(+)-γ-benzyloxymethyl-γ-butyrolactone. The key step was the aldol condensation between (+)-(R)-β-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-ylmethyl)-γ-butyrolactone and substituted benzaldehydes which afforded corresponding α-hydroxybenzyl butyrolactone analogues. The cytotoxic study of the synthesized compounds against breast cancer human cell lines showed that some of them inhibit breast cancer human cell proliferation with percentage inhibitions over 50% at concentrations less than 50 μg/mL.