title: Synthesis and antitumour activities of a novel class of dehydroabietylamine derivatives.
abstract: Structural modification is still a popular and important route in the forest chemical field for finding novel tricyclic diterpenes with more potential bioactivities and broad bioactive spectra. In this study, a series of dehydroabietylamine derivatives containing tricyclic diterpene structures were synthesised through oxidation in the 7th position of ring B and nitrification in the 12th position of ring C using dehydroabietylamine as the starting material. Structures of the synthesised compounds were confirmed by IR, (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR, MS and HRMS. The cytotoxicities of these compounds against PC-3 (human prostate carcinoma cell line) and Hey-1B (human ovarian carcinoma cell line) cells by the MTT assay were investigated. The results showed that the presence of a nitro group at 12th position and a carbonyl group at 7th position resulted in an increase of cytotoxic activity. Our findings present more evidence, showing the relationship between the chemical structure and biological function.
authors.affiliation: College of Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhong-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ai-Min
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D045784:Abietanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D045784:Abietanes; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents