Synthesis and tumoricidal activity evaluation of new morin and quercetin sulfonic derivatives

Flavonoids are a group of naturally occurring compounds with interesting medical properties, such as antiinflammatory, antiallergic, antiviral, antibacterial and antitumor activities. In our experiments we were trying to examine the tumoricidal activity of newly synthesized derivatives of two flavonoids: 3,5,7,2',4'-pentahydroxyflavone (morin) and 3,5,7,3',4'-pentahydroxyflavone (quercetin). These derivatives were: natrium salt of morin-5'-sulfonic acid (NaMSA), natrium salt of quercetin-5'-sulfonic acid (NaQSA), complex of Mg2+ with quercetin-5'-sulfonic acid (QSA), complex of iron(II) with QSA. The antitumor activity of these agents was tested in vitro on two cell lines: L1210--murine lymphocytic leukaemia and P-815--murine mastocytoma. Our experiments showed that sulfonic derivatives of these two flavonoids were less potent than the original agents in their cytostatic and cytotoxic activities. However, their solubility in water was greater than that of the original agents and higher culture medium concentration of these derivatives was obtained. The results indicate that the ability of flavonoids to act tumoricidally is reciprocally correlated with their lipophilicity.