Synthesis and cytotoxic activities of E-resveratrol derivatives

The present study was designed to synthesize derivatives of E-resveratrol and evaluate their cytotoxic activity in vitro. Different functional groups were conjugated with the phenolic hydroxyl group of E-resveratrol, and the double bond of E-resveratrol was reduced. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the synthetic derivatives was evaluated against three tumor cell lines (A549, LAC, and HeLa) using the MTT assay. Twenty-six E-resveratrol derivatives were synthesized and their structures were confirmed by (1)H NMR, MS, IR, and elemental analyses. Compounds 1-6, 12, 15-21, and 23-26 were reported for the first time. Among them, Compounds 1, 2, 4, 5, and 9-11, showed significant cytotoxicity against tumor cells; especially, Compound 1 showed an IC50 value of 4.38 μmol · L(-1) in the A549 cells which was 15-fold more active than E-resveratrol; Compound 9 showed an IC50 value of 1.41 μmol · L(-1) in the HeLa cell line which was 90-fold more active than E-resveratrol, and close to adriamycin. The structure-activity relationships were also investigated. Compounds 1, 2 and 9-11 may serve as potential lead compounds for the discovery of new anticancer drugs.