Synthesis and in vitro antitumor activity of novel 2-alkyl-5-methoxycarbonyl-11-methyl-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazol-2-ium and 2-alkylellipticin-2-ium chloride derivatives

•Twelve novel 2-tethered ellipticine derivatives were synthesized in good yields.•Nine novel 2-tethered pyridocarbazole derivatives were synthesized in good yields.•Some of these compounds exhibited potent antitumor activity on HeLa S-3 cells.•Introduction of an OH group at the 9-position enhanced its antitumor activity.•Elongation of the tether had a tendency to suppress the activity of the compounds.

Twenty-one types of novel ellipticine derivatives and pyridocarbazoles (5-methoxycarbonyl-11-methyl-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazoles) with a nitrosourea moiety, linked by an oxydiethylene unit at the 2 position, were synthesized, and their cytotoxicity against HeLa S-3 cells was evaluated. Some of these new compounds exhibited potent antitumor activity by comparison with that of ellipticine.

Graphical abstractSynthesis and evaluation of in vitro antitumor activity of the related compounds.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide