Podophyllotoxin and related analogs present numerous challenges associated with optimal antitumor activity and severe unpredictable toxicity. In the course of our ongoing investigation of quantitative structure–activity relationships to find biorational antitumor drugs, two series of pyridine acid ester derivatives of podophyllotoxin and 4′-demethylepipodophyllotoxin have been prepared by reacting the corresponding pyridine acids with the hydroxyl group of podophyllotoxin and 4′-demethyl epipodophyllotoxin in the presence of dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) and N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimde (DCC). The structures of the compounds were extensively characterized by using 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy, infrared, and elemental analysis and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity on two neoplastic cell lines (P-388 murine leukemia, A-549 human lung carcinoma) using a MTT-based assay, the results indicated significantly higher efficacy of these compounds in comparison with the prototypical inhibitor etoposide. On the basis of the preliminary biological testing results, it suggested that the cytotoxic activity of OCH3 at C-4′ is more potent than that of its demethylated analogs and the podophyllotoxin substitution at C-4 may be optimal for synthesizing more potent cytotoxic compounds.
