3-Arylidene-1-(4-nitrophenylmethylene)-3,4-dihydro-1H-naphthalen-2-ones and related compounds displaying selective toxicity and reversal of multidrug resistance in neoplastic cells

The incorporation of the 1-aryl-5-(4-nitrophenyl)-3-oxo-1,4-pentadienyl group into different cyclic structures led to the discovery of various compounds which displayed selective toxicity for neoplastic cells rather than normal tissues and reversed multidrug resistance.