Novel conjugated unsaturated ketones with submicromolar potencies towards some leukemic and colon cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Cancer continues to be the major health burden worldwide. There is an urgent need for the development of novel antineoplastic compounds to treat this devastating condition. Various alkylating anticancer drugs have been employed in the clinic for treating cancers. Unsaturated conjugated ketones are a group of alkylators which are of significant interest as potent antineoplastic agents.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to discover unsaturated conjugated ketones which are novel potent cytotoxins displaying growth-inhibitory properties towards neoplasms and also to serve as cytotoxic warheads in drug development.

METHODS: A variety of 3,5-bis(benzylidene)-4-piperidones 2a-n were synthesized and evaluated against a number of neoplastic cell lines. The short-term neurotoxicity of 2a-k, n was evaluated in mice by i.p. administration using doses level of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg. Statistical correlations for determining structure-activity relationships were performed using a SPSS software.

RESULTS: A number of compounds display cytotoxic potencies in the region of 10 -7 to 10 -8 M and some of the structural features contributing to the cytotoxicity were identified. Compounds 2a-d, 2h demonstrated substantially higher cytotoxic potencies compared to melphalan and 5-fluorouracil against a panel of leukemic and colon cancer cell lines. These lead cytotoxins comply with drug-likeness properties. In general the antineoplastics 2 are well tolerated in mice using a short-term neurotoxicity screening.

CONCLUSION: In general this group of compounds are excellent cytotoxic agents which warrants their further development as cytotoxic warheads.