Thermal chemistry of podophyllotoxin in ethanol and a comparison of the cytostatic activity of the thermolysis products

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Podophyllotoxin (1) in buffered ethanolic solution is degraded by two pathways. One leads to (a) picropodophyllin (2), which undergoes dehydration to give alpha-apopicropodophyllin (5), which rearranges to give beta-apopicropodophyllin (6), (b) the ethyl ether of picropodophyllotoxin, 8, and (c) the ethyl ether of epipicropodophyllotoxin, 7. The other pathway leads directly to epipodophyllotoxin (10) and the corresponding ethyl ether, 9, and possibly, via a transient 3,4-dehydropodophyllotoxin (5'), to beta-apopicropodophyllin (6). The 1H NMR spectra of these compounds are described, their in vitro cytostatic activity compared, and their syntheses, including that of podophyllotoxin ethyl ether, reported.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Volume75
Issue number11
Pages (from-to)1076-80
Number of pages5
ISSN0022-3549
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 1986

    Research areas

  • Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis, Cells, Cultured, Chemical Phenomena, Chemistry, Physical, Ethanol, Hot Temperature, Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology, Podophyllotoxin/analysis

ID: 203631557