Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel curcumin analog as potential anti-lung cancer agent

Abstract

Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound derived from the plant turmeric and the structural instability of which limits its further clinical applications. In this study, 11 curcumin analogs with more stable scaffold were prepared and evaluated. The results indicated that the optimal compound Y-11 exhibited the strongest antiproliferative activities against lung cancer cells including H460 and H1650. Further studies showed that Y-11 potentially inhibited hDHODH, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis as well as down-regulated crucial signal pathway protein expression in H1650 cells. In the conclusion, the newly designed curcumin analog Y-11 may be suitable for further development in lung cancer treatment.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Lung cancer
• curcumin analog
• hDHODH
• antiproliferative activities
• structural stability
• cell cycle

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Authors’ contributions

The article was written through contributions of all authors. All authors have given approval to the final version of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82003755).