Synthesis of 6-cinnamoyl-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-ones and their effects on A549 lung cancer cell growth

•Synthesis of novel 6-cinnamoyl-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-one derivatives.•Preliminary biological activity of the compounds was evaluated.•The compounds suppress the growth of A549 lung cancer cells by autophagy and cell cycle arrest.

A series of novel 6-cinnamoyl-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-one derivatives was synthesized. The structures of compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, IR, and MS. Moreover, representative crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The preliminary biological evaluation of all these compounds showed that compounds 3a–3d would suppress the growth of A549 lung cells effectively by inducing autophagy and cell cycle arrest.

Graphical abstractA series of novel 6-cinnamoyl-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-one derivatives was synthesized. Some compounds suppress the growth of A549 lung cancer cells by inducing autophagy and cell cycle arrest.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide