Diversity Oriented Synthesis of Allocolchicinoids with Fluoro and/or Oxygen Substituent(s) on the C-Ring from a Single Common Intermediate

Allocolchicinoids, with a distinct polyoxygenated dibenzocycloheptane skeleton, attract much attention as potential candidate anticancer drugs. In this study, eight C‐ring fluorinated analogues of allocolchicinoids, seven C‐ring oxygen‐substituted analogues, and known compounds N‐acetylcolchinol and NSC 51046 were synthesized as racemates from a single common intermediate by using either the deoxyfluorination/migration domino reaction or acid‐promoted migration as the key step. Among the products obtained, some of the fluorinated derivatives strongly inhibited the growth of prostate DU145 and pancreas Panc 1 cancer cell lines with efficacy comparable to or better than those of N‐acetylcolchinol and NSC 51046. They were also less toxic against a non‐cancerous cell line than the known compounds were. Eight C‐ring fluorinated analogues of allocolchicinoids, seven C‐ring oxygen‐substituted analogues, and known compounds N‐acetylcolchinol and NSC 51046 were synthesized from a single common intermediate by using either the deoxyfluorination/migration domino reaction or acid‐promoted migration as the key step. Some fluorinated compounds showed high cytotoxicity against prostate cancer cells.