Design, synthesis, and anti-tumor activity of derivatives of ring A and C-28 of asiatic acid

Based on computer-aided drug design (CADD), the active groups of the known active small molecule compounds that can bind to EGFR target protein were analyzed through the molecular docking method. Then, 12 novel asiatic acid derivatives were synthesized by introducing active groups at ring A and C-28 positions of asiatic acid. The structures of these novel compounds were determined by NMR and MS. Furthermore, the anti-tumor activities of these derivatives on human lung cancer cells (A549) and human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were evaluated by MTT assay. In conclusion, compounds I4 and II3 have stronger anti-cancer activity than parent compounds, the activities were stronger than gefitinib and comparable to afatinib, which may be potential candidate compounds for tumor therapy.