Synthesis and evaluation of the cell cycle arrest and CT DNA interaction properties of 4β-amino-4′-O-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxins

4β-N-(4-Nitrophenyl piperazinyl)-4′-O-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin induces cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, leading to apoptosis, as well as to the activation of cdc2, cyclinB1, p53 and caspase-3 and conformational changes in calf thymus DNA.