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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Functionalized Spirocyclic Heterocycle Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Assay
Published on: February 9, 2021
Efficient chemoenzymatic synthesis, cytotoxic evaluation, and SAR of epoxysterols
João F S Carvalho1, M Manuel Cruz Silva, João N Moreira
1Centro de Estudos Farmaceuticos, Laboratorio Quiimica Farmaceutica, Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
Abstract:
A library of diastereomerically pure epoxysterols, prepared by combining chemical and enzymatic methodologies, was evaluated for cytotoxicity toward human cancer and noncancer cell lines. Unsaturated steroids were oxidized by magnesium bis(monoperoxyphthalate) hexahydrate in acetonitrile, and the resulting epimeric epoxides were enzymatically separated using Novozym 435 or lipase AY. Some of the synthesized epoxysterols have potent cytotoxicity and higher activity on cancer cell lines HT29 and LAMA-84.
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