Library construction and biological evaluation of enmein-type diterpenoid analogues as potential anticancer agents

A library of promising enmein-type 14-O-diterpenoid derivatives was constructed from a commercially available kaurene-type oridonin by practical and efficient synthetic methods. These synthetic derivatives were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against a set of four human cancer cell lines. The IC50 values are similar to or improved over those of the parent molecule and paclitaxel, the latter of which was used as a positive control. Compound 29 was further investigated for its apoptotic properties against human hepatocarcinoma Bel-7402 cells to better understand its mode of action. Moreover, compound 29 was shown to have potent antitumor activity in vivo in studies with a murine model of gastric cancer (MGC-803 mice). These results warrant further preclinical investigations of these diterpenoid-based analogues as potential novel anticancer chemotherapeutics.