Abstract
Seven benzophenone compounds were synthesized in one or two steps, then their antitumor activity was evaluated. The total yields ranged from 9% to 44%. Compounds 3c–5c exhibited obvious antitumor activity. Among them, compounds 3c and 4c exhibited excellent and broad-spectrum antitumor activity. Compound 3c exhibited much stronger inhibitory activities against fourteen cancer cells than cisplatin. In particular, compound 3c exhibited stronger cytotoxicity against hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells than Taxol, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of approximately 0.111 μM. These results demonstrated that compounds 3c, 4c and 5c were very promising antitumor leads for further structural modification.
Graphical Abstract
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Disclosure statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.