New derivatives of phaeosphaeride A (PPA) were synthesized and characterized. Anti-tumor activity studies were carried out on the HCT-116, PC3, MCF-7, A549, К562, NCI-Н929, Jurkat, THP-1, RPMI8228 tumor cell lines, and on the HEF cell line. All of the compounds synthesized were found to have better efficacy than PPA towards the tumor cell lines mentioned. Compound 6 was potent against six cancer cell lines, HCT-116, PC-3, K562, NCI-H929, Jurkat, and RPMI8226, showing a 47, 13.5, 16, 4, 1.5, and 7-fold increase in anticancer activity comparative to those of etoposide, respectively. Compound 1 possessed selectivity toward the NCI-H929 cell line (IC₅₀ = 1.35 ± 0.69 μM), while product 7 was selective against three cancer cell lines, HCT-116, MCF-7, and NCI-H929, each having IC₅₀ values of 1.65 μM, 1.80 μM and 2.00 μM, respectively.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C₁₅H₂₃NO₅, contains two independent molecules. Phaeosphaeride A contains two primary sections, an alkyl chain consisting of five C atoms and a cyclic system consisting of fused five- and six-membered rings with attached substituents. In the crystal, the molecules form layered structures. Nearly planar sheets, parallel to the (001) plane, form bilayers of two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded networks with the hydroxy groups located on the interior of the bilayer sheets. The network is constructed primarily of four O—H...O hydrogen bonds, which form a zigzag pattern in the (001) plane. The butyl chains interdigitate with the butyl chains on adjacent sheets. The crystal was twinned by a twofold rotation about thecaxis, with refined major–minor occupancy fractions of 0.718 (6):0.282 (6).

In the present study, natural phaeosphaeride A (PPA) derivatives are synthesized. Anti-tumor studies are carried out on the PC3, K562, HCT-116, THP-1, MCF-7, A549, NCI-H929, Jurkat, and RPMI8226 tumor cell lines, and on the human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line. All the compounds synthesized turned out to have better efficacy than PPA towards the tumor cell lines listed. Among them, three compounds exhibited an ability to overcome the drug resistance of tumor cells associated with the overexpression of the P-glycoprotein by modulating the work of this transporter. Luminex xMAP technology was used to assess the effect of five synthesized compounds on the activation of intracellular kinase cascades in A431 cells. MILLIPLEX MAP Multi-Pathway Magnetic Bead 9-Plex was used, which allowed for the simultaneous detection of the following nine phosphorylated protein markers of the main intracellular signaling pathways: a universal transcription factor that controls the expression of immune-response genes, apoptosis and cell cycle NFκB (pS536); cAMP-dependent transcription factor (CREB (pS133); mitogen-activated kinase p38 (pT180/pY182); stress-activated protein kinase JNK (pT183/pY185); ribosomal SK; transcription factors STAT3 (pS727) and STAT5A/B (pY694/699); protein kinase B (Akt) (pS473); and kinase regulated by extracellular signals ERK1/2 (pT185/pY187). The effect of various concentrations of PPA derivatives on the cell culture was studied using xCelligence RTCA equipment. The compounds were found to modulate JNK, ERK1/2, and p38 signaling pathways. The set of activated kinase cascades suggests that oxidative stress is the main probable mechanism of the toxic action of PPA derivatives.

New C(6)-derivatives of natural phaeosphaeride A (PPA) modified with pharmacophoric nitrogen heterocyclic groups have been synthesized. The reaction of 1,2,4-triazole with PPA mesylate produced both the product of the expected substitution of the methanesulfonate group and the PPA derivative with two 1,2,4-triazole groups: at the C(6) atom and the exocyclic C=C bond. The synthesized compounds, with the exception of those containing two 1,2,4-triazole groups, are superior in cytotoxic activity to the original phaeosphaeride and the positive control, etoposide.