Synthesis, characterization and antiproliferative activity of β-aryl-δ-iodo-γ-lactones

A convenient pathway for the synthesis of new of β-aryl-δ-iodo-γ-lactones is described. The synthetic route led to both cis and trans isomers which were separated by column chromatography or crystallization. The structures of synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectroscopic methods: IR, NMR and HR-MS. For lactones with naphthyl ring (6e and 7e) the crystal structures were also obtained. The lactones were screened for biological evaluation against cancer line HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia). The tests showed that the presence of substituent at the benzene ring does not significantly affect the antiproliferative activity of the compound.