Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of 13-n-alkyl berberine and palmatine analogues as anticancer agents.

Lei Zhang, Jingjing Li, Fei Ma, Shining Yao, Naisan Li, Jing Wang, Yongbin Wang, Xiuzhen Wang, Qizheng Yao

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 2012 Sep 25

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By introducing long carbon-chain alkyl groups at the C-13 position of berberine and palmatine, 13-n-hexyl/13-n-octyl berberine and palmatine chloride analogues 4a-d were synthesized and examined by MTT assays for cytotoxic activity in seven human cancer cell lines (7701QGY, SMMC7721, HepG2, CEM, CEM/VCR, KIII, Lewis), yielding IC₅₀ values of 0.02 ± 0.01-13.58 ± 2.84 μM. 13-n-Octyl palmatine (compound 4d) gave the most potent inhibitor activity, with an IC₅₀ of 0.02 ± 0.01 μM for SMMC7721. In all cases, the 13-n-alkyl berberine and palmatine analogues 4a-d were more cytotoxic than berberine and palmatine. In addition, compounds 4a-d also exhibited more potent cytotoxicity than berberine and palmatine in mice with S180 sarcoma xenografted in vivo. The primary screening results indicated that the 13-n-hexyl/13-n-octyl berberine and palmatine analogues might be valuable source for new potent anticancer drug candidates.

Citation

Lei Zhang, Jingjing Li, Fei Ma, Shining Yao, Naisan Li, Jing Wang, Yongbin Wang, Xiuzhen Wang, Qizheng Yao. Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of 13-n-alkyl berberine and palmatine analogues as anticancer agents. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2012 Sep 25;17(10):11294-302