Quantitative Structure-cytotoxicity Relationship of 3-Benzylidenechromanones.

AIM: Sixteen 3-benzylidenechromanones were subjected to quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis based on their cytotoxicity and tumor-specificity, in order to examine their new biological activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytotoxicity against two human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, two mesenchymal and two epithelial normal oral cells, was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method. Tumor-specificity (TS) was evaluated by the ratio of the mean CC50 (50% cytotoxic concentration) against normal cells to that against tumor cell lines. Physicochemical, structural and quantum-chemical parameters were calculated based on the conformations optimized by the LowModeMD method. RESULTS: 3-Benzylidenechromanone derivatives that have a methoxy group at 7-position of the chromanone ring and hydroxyl or methoxy group at 4'-position of benzene ring showed relatively higher TS values, exceeding those of doxorubicin (DXR) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Since these anticancer drugs were highly cytotoxic to normal keratinocytes, QSAR analysis was performed with oral carcinoma and mesenchymal normal cells. Tumor-specificity was well correlated with 3D-MoRSE descriptors (that relate to three dimensional shapes) and Edge adjacency indices (that relate to two dimensional shapes and polarization). Introduction of hydroxyl group at 3'-position of benzene ring significantly elevated the tumor-specificity. CONCLUSION: Molecular shape, size and polarization are useful markers for the evaluation of tumor-specificity of 3-benzylidenechromanone derivatives.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 3-Benzylidene-4-chromanone Derivatives as Free Radical Scavengers and α-Glucosidase Inhibitors.

A series of 3-benzylidene-4-chromanone derivatives (3-20) were synthesized and the structure-activity relationships for antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were evaluated. Among synthesized compounds, compounds 5, 13, 18, which contain catechol moiety, showed the potent 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity (5: EC50 13 µM; 13: EC50 14 µM; 18: EC50 13 µM). The compounds 12, 14, 18 showed higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (12: IC50 15 µM; 14: IC50 25 µM; 18: IC50 28 µM). The compound 18 showed both of potent DPPH radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. These data suggest that 3-benzylidene-4-chromanone derivatives, such as compound 18, may serve as the lead compound for the development of novel α-glucosidase inhibitors with antioxidant activity.