Synthesis and evaluation of the antimalarial, anticancer, and caspase 3 activities of tetraoxane dimers.

The synthesis of a range of mono spiro and dispiro 1,2,4,5-tetraoxane dimers is described. Selected molecules were examined in in vitro assays to determine their antimalarial and anticancer potential. Our studies reveal that several molecules possess potent nanomolar antimalarial and single digit micromolar antiproliferative IC(50)s versus colon (HT29-AK and leukemia (HL60) cell lines.