title: Synthesis and antialgal activity of dihydrophenanthrenes and phenanthrenes II: mimics of naturally occurring compounds in Juncus effusus.
abstract: 9,10-Dihydrophenanthrenes and phenanthrenes, mimics of natural compounds with strong antialgal activity, have been synthesized through cross-coupling by zerovalent Ni of 1-(2-iodo-5-methoxy)-phenylethanol or 2-iodo-5-methoxyacetophenone with iodoxylenes. The synthetic compounds had a hydroxyl or a methoxyl group at C-2 and two methyls in the C ring. Assays on the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum showed that all the compounds, except 2-methoxy-5,7-dimethylphenanthrene, caused strong inhibition of algal growth at 10(-4) M. 2-Hydroxy-7,8-dimethyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene and 2-methoxy-5,6-dimethylphenanthrene fully inhibited growth at 10(-5) M.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Biologica, Università Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16, 1-80134 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dellagreca
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Previtera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zarrelli
mesh_terms: D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D010616:Phenanthrenes