Facile Synthesis of Novel 3‐(4‐phenylisothiazol‐5‐yl)‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents

A series of 3‐(4‐phenylisothiazol‐5‐yl)‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one ( 6a – l ) derivatives has been efficiently synthesized by straightforward sequential reactions. Tandem Vilsmeier Hack reaction/cyclization/bromination/Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions were successfully applied to the preparation of title compounds in good‐to‐high yields. In the synthetic sequences, 3‐chloro‐3‐(2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)acrylaldehydes ( 2 ) were found to react with ammonium thiocyanate to yield the corresponding 3‐(isothiazol‐5‐yl)‐2H‐chromen‐2‐ones ( 3 ). These derivatives were brominated with N‐bromo succinamide to yield the corresponding regioselective 3‐(4‐bromoisothiazol‐5‐yl)‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one ( 4 ). Finally, compound 4 was treated with various phenyl/pyrazole/7H –pyrrolo[2,3‐d]pyrimidinyl boronic acids 5a – l in the presence of K₂CO₃ and Pd catalyst in dimethylformamide to yield the corresponding title derivatives 6a – l . All the synthesized compounds were characterized by analytical and spectral studies. All the final compounds were screened against different cancer cell lines (A549, PC3, SKOV3, and B16F10), and among these compounds, 6b , 6g , 6h , and 6l displayed moderate cytotoxic activity against the tested cell lines.     

Synthesis and Antitumor Effect of Sophoridine Derivatives Bearing an Acyclic Aryloxy Phosphoramidate Mustard Functionality

To elevate the potency of sophoridine, phosphoramidate mustard motif was incorporated to D‐ring opened sophoridine scaffold. A series of acyclic aryloxy phosphoramidate mustard functionalized sophoridine derivatives were synthesized and screened for cytostatic activity in a range of different tumor cell lines (S180, H22, K562, MCF‐7, SMMC‐7721, and LoVo). All these compounds were shown to be more sensitive to S180 and H22 cells with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.10 to 7.21 μM. In addition, all targeted derivatives distinctly are more cytotoxic to cancer cells than normal cell L929. Compounds 8b , 8c , 8d , and 8e displayed moderate tumor suppression without apparent organ toxicity in vivo against mice bearing H22 liver tumors. Their potential binding modes with DNA topoisomerase I complex have also been investigated.     

Synthesis and In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Novel 1,3,4‐Oxadiazole‐Linked 1,2,3‐Triazole/Isoxazole Hybrids

A series of new 1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐linked 1,2,3‐triazole/isoxazole derivatives were designed and synthesized. All the synthesized compounds were screened for in vitro anticancer activity against four human cancer cells: HeLa (cervical), MDA‐MB‐231 (breast), DU‐145 (prostate), and HEPG2 (liver). Among 17 compounds tested, 7a , 7c , and 7d showed potent activity toward four cell lines.     

Exploration of quinoxaline derivatives as antimicrobial and anticancer agents

Novel 2 and 3‐substituted quinoxaline derivatives were synthesized through various synthetic pathways, among which cyanoacetamide and cyanoacetohydrazide quinoxaline derivatives 4a‐c and 11a‐c , respectively, were synthesized. Furthermore, methoxy quinoxaline derivatives 3c and quinoxaline derivatives bearing substituted pyridines 6a,b , 12a,b , and 13a,b were designed to be synthesized. However, we have synthesized acrylohydrazide 5a,b and 7 /acrylamide derivatives, Schiff base analogues 14a‐f , pyrazole derivatives 15a‐e, amide derivatives 16a‐f , guanidine derivatives 16 g,h as well as, quinoxalin‐2‐methylallyl propionate derivative 14g . All the synthesized compounds were confirmed via spectral data and elemental analyses. Moreover, the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity (Gm +ve, Gm ?ve in comparison to Gentamycin a standard) and fungi (in comparison to Ketoconazole as a standard). Thus, compound 16b showed promising antimicrobial activity against B. subtilis, P. vulgaris, and S. mutants with values ranging from 20 to 27‐mm zone of inhibition. While compounds 5a , 14e,f, and 16a,c,d,g,h showed potent antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) selected 20 compounds that were submitted for anticancer screening against 60 types of cancer cell lines. The most active compounds are 5b and 12a where compound 5b containing 2,4‐dichlorophenyl moiety at cyanoacetamide linkage of hydrazine quinoxaline backbone exerted significant growth inhibition activity against Leukemia MOLT‐4, Renal cancer UO‐31, and Breast cancer MCF‐7. In addition, compound 12a having 4,6‐diaminopyridinone side chain at position‐3 of quinoxaline nucleus exhibited remarkable anticancer activity against renal cancer UO‐31.     

Et3N‐Prompted Efficient Synthesis of Anthracenyl Pyrazolines and Their Cytotoxicity Evaluation against Cancer Cell Lines

A series of anthracenyl pyrazoline derivatives ( 3a – o ) were synthesized with an aim to evaluate their in vitro anticancer activities. Anthracenyl pyrazoline compounds were prepared by the reaction between various anthracenyl chalcones ( 1a – o ) and hydrazine hydrate ( 2 ). The reactions were carried out under reflux in the presence of triethylamine and ethanol for 24 h, and the obtained yields were from good to excellent (90–97%). The structure of each compound is well characterized by IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, elemental analyses, and mass spectroscopic technics, and the molecular structures of compounds 3d and 3e were solved by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallographic methods. The newly synthesized compounds ( 3a – o ) were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic studies against four human cancer cell lines MCF‐7 (breast cancer cell lines), SK‐N‐SH (neuroblastoma cancer cell lines), HeLa (cervical cancer cell lines), and HepG2 (liver cancer cell lines), and the screening results show strong cytotoxic effects for most of the synthesized compounds against the three cell lines except SK‐N‐SH cells. Notably, compounds 3a , 3j , 3l , 3m , 3n , and 3o showed a highly potential activity against HeLa cells (IC₅₀: 0.22, 0.3, 0.3, 0.10, 0.25, and 0.25 μM), while compounds 3i , 3k , 3l , and 3m showed a significant cytotoxic activity in HepG2 cells (IC₅₀: 0.22, 0.44, 0.40, and 0.22 μM), whereas compounds 3a , 3b , 3d , and 3e exhibit a promising cytotoxicity against MCF‐7 cells (IC₅₀: 0.73, 0.495, 0.493, and 0.66 μM).     

Palladium Catalyzed Tricyclohexylphosphine Ligand Associated Synthesis of N‐(2‐(pyridine‐4‐yl)‐1H‐pyrrolo[3,2‐c]‐pyridin‐6‐yl‐(substituted)‐sulfonamide Derivatives as Antiproliferative Agents

A series of novel N‐(2‐(pyridine‐4‐yl)‐1H‐pyrrolo[3,2‐c]‐pyridin‐6‐yl‐(substituted)‐sulfonamide derivatives were synthesized from 2‐bromo‐6‐nitro‐1H‐pyrrolo[3,2‐c]pyridine through a series of reactions including Suzuki reaction, reduction, protection, and sulfonamide coupling. All the synthesized compounds were screened for anticancer activity against MCF‐7, HeLa, A‐549, and Du‐145 cancer cell lines by the MTT assay. The preliminary bioassay suggests that most of the compounds show antiproliferation with different degrees. Doxorubicin was used as a positive control. Among the synthesized compounds, 8d and 8h were most active compared with the standard in cell line data. The synthesized compounds 8d and 8h show IC₅₀ values in the range of 1.88–5.16 μM for all the cell lines. Compounds 8d and 8h were further studied for a panel of eight human kinase at 10 μM concentrations and the result shows 64% to 70% inhibitions for both Aurora‐A and Aurora‐B kinase.     

Synthesis,Cytotoxic Activity Evaluation of Novel 1,2,3‐Triazole Linked Quinazoline Derivatives

A series of novel 1,2,3‐triazole‐quinazoline derivatives were synthesized in five steps starting from anthranilamide by conventional methods. All the title compounds 10a — 10r were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines (MGC ‐803, EC ‐109, MCF ‐7 and HGC ‐27) using MTT assay in vitro . Some of the synthesized compounds exhibited moderate to potent activity against tested cancer cell lines. Among them, compounds 10 h and 10q exhibited excellent growth inhibition against HGC ‐27 and compound 10 m also possessed excellent activity against MCF ‐7, with IC₅₀ values less than 1 µmol/L. Especially, compound 10 h was more cytotoxic than 5‐fluorouracil against all tested four human cancer cell lines.     

Synthesis and In vitro Antitumor Screening of Novel 2,7‐Naphthyridine‐3‐carboxylic Acid Derivatives

New derivatives of 2,7‐naphthyridine‐3‐carboxylic acid were synthesized. We report the hydrolysis, chlorination, alkylation, and amination of the 2,7‐naphthyridine esters 1 , 2 . A series of Schiff's bases 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d , 8e , 8f , 8g , 8h , 8i , 8j , 9a , 9b , 9b' , 9c , 9d , 9e were produced by treating the obtained hydrazides 6 and 7 with aromatic aldehydes. The anticancer activities of the obtained derivatives were examined. Eighteen of the 24 newly synthesized compounds were qualified by the National Cancer Institute NCI (Bethesda, MD, USA) for in vitro screening against 60 different human tumor cell lines. The most active compound 8i was evaluated against a 60‐cell panel at five concentration levels and proved to be most sensitive towards central nervous system cancer (SF‐539), with GI₅₀ = 0.70 µmol, total growth inhibition = 5.41 µmol, and LC₅₀ = 53.7 µmol.     

Design,Synthesis and Molecular Modeling of Nonsteroidal Anti‐inflammatory Drugs Tagged Substituted 1,2,3‐Triazole Derivatives and Evaluation of Their Biological Activities

A novel series of 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazole derivatives 3a – l and 5a – i were one‐pot synthesized via CuAAC‐alkyne click chemistry and evaluated for their antibacterial activity against four organisms and screened for their anticancer activity against human colon cancer cell line HT‐29 and human lung cancer cell line HTB‐29. These hybrid molecules structure elucidation has been performed by IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, and mass spectral analysis. Synthesized nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs‐triazoles evaluated for their antibacterial activities against bacterial microorganisms Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumonia. Final compounds 3i , 3c , and 5b showed magnificent broad spectrum activity against P. aeruginosa, K. pneumonia, E. coli, and S. aureus with zone of inhibition values of 20, 15, 17, and 16 mm, respectively. Among the series of compound, 3j showed the best antibacterial activity against all the strains. Further, the compounds 3i and 5a were more cytotoxic than cisplatin against all tested two human cancer cell lines, with 50.8%, and 52.3% and 73.4% and 75.3% of growth, respectively. The synthesized compounds were tested for kinase inhibitory activity against glycogen synthase kinase‐3 protein kinases, in addition, for cytotoxic activity against two different human cancer cell lines.     

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Evaluation of 2′‐Arenesulfonyloxy‐5‐benzylidene‐thiazolidine‐2,4‐diones

A series of 2′‐arenesulfonyloxy‐5‐benzylidene‐thiazolidine‐2,4‐diones (TZDs) were synthesized and examined for their antiproliferative effects on a panel of carcinoma cell lines. Our results indicated that initial synthesis of 5‐[2′‐hydroxybenzylidene]‐2,4‐thiazolidinone (9) by Knoevenagel condensation followed by nucleophilic substitution with arylsulfonyl chlorides exhibited superior efficiency to the alternative synthetic route. Among tested compounds, only 8c and 8e showed significant antiproliferative activity against PC‐3 and BT474 cells with GI₅₀ values of 8.4 and 20.6 μM, respectively. SKHep cells displayed interesting structure‐activity relationships in response to TZD derivatives treatment. Alkyl group‐substituted TZD analogs such as 8a (4‐Me, GI₅₀, 9.4 μM) and 8k (4‐iso‐propyl, GI₅₀, 9.8 μM) revealed better antiproliferative activity than those with bulkier alkyl groups. On the other hand, halogen‐substituted TZD analogs 8c, 8h, and 8i showed better antiproliferative activity against H460 cell line. Together, the new synthesized TZD derivatives 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d , 8e , 8f , 8g , 8h , 8i , 8j , 8k , 8l , 8m , 8n , 8o , 8p exhibited appreciable antiproliferative activity worth for further study.     

Synthesis and Anti‐proliferative Activity of Novel Polysubstitued Indazole Derivatives

A simple and efficient process is developed for the synthesis of new N‐(1‐alkyl‐3‐chloro‐4‐ethoxy‐1H‐indazol‐5‐yl)‐arylsulfonamides 4a – d and N‐(1‐alkyl‐3‐chloro‐1H‐indazol‐5‐yl)‐arylsulfonamides 5a – d through the reduction of 1‐alkyl‐3‐chloro‐5‐nitroindazoles 2a , b with SnCl₂ in ethanol followed by coupling the corresponding amine with arylsulfonyl chlorides in pyridine. All the newly synthesized compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic data. Some compounds were tested for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against two selected human cancer cell lines A2780 and A549. Among all of these derivatives, compound 5d showed the most potent antiproliferative activity against A2780 (IC₅₀ = 5.47 ± 1.45 μM) and A549 (IC₅₀ = 7.73 ± 1.66 μM) cell lines.     

Synthesis,Anticancer Evaluation,and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel (4‐Hydroxy‐2‐Thioxo‐3,4‐Dihydro‐2H‐[1,3]Thiazin‐6‐Yl)‐Chromen‐2‐Ones via a Multicomponent Approach

A series of coumarin‐substituted 1,3‐thiazine‐2‐thione derivatives ( 4a–m ) were synthesized via the multicomponent reaction of 3‐chloro‐3‐(2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)acrylaldehyde ( 1 ) carbon disulfide ( 2 ), and various primary amines ( 3 ), in presence of triethylamine and acetonitrile under stirring with good yields. The structures of all the synthesized compounds were characterized by analytical and spectral studies. Further, the synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against different cancer cell lines (A549, MDA‐MB‐231, MCF7, HeLa, and B16F10). Studies on the molecular interactions to recognize the hypothetical binding motif of the title compounds with the target Hsp 100 were carried out employing the Schrodinger software. Compounds 4a , 4c and 4m showed activity against all the five cell lines compared with the reference drug, and 4a exhibited the least IC₅₀ concentration of 7.56 ± 1.07 μg/mL against MCF7. This in vitro anticancer result was supported by in silico docking and in silico ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) studies as well.     

Synthesis,crystal structure and cytotoxic activity of novel 5‐methyl‐4‐thiopyrimidine derivatives

This article presents the synthesis of three new 4‐thiopyrimidine derivatives obtained from ethyl 4‐methyl‐2‐phenyl‐6‐sulfanylpyrimidine‐5‐carboxylate as the starting material, namely, ethyl 4‐[(4‐chlorobenzyl)sulfanyl]‐6‐methyl‐2‐phenylpyrimidine‐5‐carboxylate, C₂₁H₁₉ClN₂O₂S, ( 2 ), {4‐[(4‐chlorobenzyl)sulfanyl]‐6‐methyl‐2‐phenylpyrimidin‐5‐yl}methanol, C₁₉H₁₇ClN₂OS, ( 3 ), and 4‐[(4‐chlorobenzyl)sulfanyl]‐5,6‐dimethyl‐2‐phenylpyrimidine, C₁₉H₁₇ClN₂S, ( 4 ), which vary in the substituent at the 5‐position of the pyrimidine ring. The compounds were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR and mass spectroscopies, and also elemental analysis. The molecular structures were further studied by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Compound ( 2 ) crystallizes in the space group P with one molecule in the asymmetric unit, whereas compounds ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) crystallize in the space group P2₁/c with two and one molecule, respectively, in their asymmetric units. The conformation of each molecule is best defined by the dihedral angles formed between the pyrimidine ring and the planes of the two aryl substituents attached at the 2‐ and 4‐positions. The only structural difference between the three compounds is the substituent at the 5‐position of the pyrimidine ring, but they present significantly different features in the hydrogen‐bond interactions. Compound ( 2 ) displays a one‐dimensional chain formed by hydrogen bonds and the chains are further extended into a two‐dimensional network. Molecules of ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) generate one‐dimensional chains formed through intermolecular interactions. The study examines the cytotoxicity of compounds ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) against Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and HeLa, K562 and CFPAC cancer cell lines. The presence of the hydroxymethyl and methyl groups in ( 3 ) and ( 4 ), respectively, offers an interesting new insight into the structures and behaviour of these derivatives. Compound ( 4 ) was found to be nontoxic against CFPAC and HUVEC; however, it shows weak activity against the HeLa and K563 cell lines. The presence of a hydroxy group in ( 3 ) significantly increases its cytotoxicity towards both, i.e. the cancer (HeLa, K562 and CFPAC) and normal (HUVEC) cell lines.     

A Facial Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of (Z)‐2‐((5‐(4‐nitrobenzylidene)‐4‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydrothiazol‐2‐yl)amino)‐substituted Acid

In order to explore the anticancer and antimicrobial activity associated with the thiazole framework, we synthesized the new series (Z )‐2‐((5‐(4‐nitrobenzylidene)‐4‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydrothiazol‐2‐yl)amino)‐substituted acid derivatives 6a – l . All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for anticancer and antimicrobial activity in vitro. Among these, the compounds 6a , 6b, 6c , 6e , 6f , 6g , 6h , 6i , 6j , and 6k showed highest antibacterial and antifungal activity. The compound 6a exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis , whereas compound 6j displays significant antifungal activity against fungal strains, that is, A. oryzae . The in vitro anticancer studies revealed that 6e , 6g , 6h , 6k , and 6l are the most active compounds against MCF‐7 and BT‐474 human breast cancer cell lines, which can be regarded as the promising drug candidate for development of anticancer drugs.     

Synthesis and pharmacological properties of N‐substituted‐N′‐(4,6‐dimethylpyrimidin‐2‐yl)‐thiourea derivatives and related fused heterocyclic compounds

A series of new N‐Substituted‐N′‐(4,6‐dimethylpyrimidin‐2‐yl)‐thiourea derivatives ( 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d ) and related fused heterocyclic compounds ( 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d ) were synthesized using tetrabutylammonium bromide as phase transfer catalyst (PTC). N‐[(2E)‐5,7‐dimethyl‐2H‐[1,2,4] thiadiazolo [2,3‐a] pyrimidin‐2‐ylidene] derivatives ( 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d ) were prepared by oxidative cyclization of 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d . The structures of these novel compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, mass spectrometry, and the elemental analysis. The crystal structures were determined from single crystal X‐ray diffraction data. The results indicated that the compounds possessed a broad spectrum of activity against the tested microorganisms and showed higher activity against fungi than bacteria. Compounds 3d and 3a exhibited the greatest antimicrobial activity. J. Heterocyclic Chem., 2011.     

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Some New N‐substituted‐5‐arylidene‐thiazolidine‐2,4‐diones

A total of 17 new N‐substituted derivatives ( 2b , 2c , 2d , 2e , 2f , 2g , 2h , 2i , 2j , 2k and 3b , 3c , 3d , 3e , 3f , 3g , 3h ) of 5‐((2‐phenylthiazol‐4‐yl)methylene) thiazolidine‐2,4‐dione ( 2a ) and 5‐(2,6‐dichloro‐ benzylidene)thiazolidine‐2,4‐dione ( 3a ) were synthesized. The structural elucidation of the newly synthesized compounds was based on elemental analysis and spectroscopic data (MS, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR), and their antimicrobial activities were assessed in vitro against several strains of Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria and one fungal strain (Candida albicans) as growth inhibition diameter. Some of them showed modest to good antibacterial activity against Gram‐negative Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium and Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Enterococcus fecalis bacterial strains, whereas almost all the compounds were inactive against Listeria monocytogenes. All of the synthesized compounds showed moderate to very good activity against C. albicans.     

Novel 5‐Methyl‐2‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐4‐{4,5‐dihydro‐ 3‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐5‐(1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐2‐yl)pyrazol‐1‐yl}‐oxazole Derivatives: Synthesis and Anticancer Activity

Eleven novel 5‐methyl‐2‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐4‐{4,5‐dihydro‐3‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐5‐(1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐2‐yl)pyrazol‐1‐yl}‐oxazole derivatives were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ESI‐MS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. All of the compounds have been screened for their antiproliferative activities against PC‐3 cell (human prostate cancer) and A431 cell (human epidermoid carcinoma cancer) lines in vitro. The results revealed that compounds 4g , 4j and 4k exhibited the strong inhibitory activities against the PC‐3 cell lines (with IC₅₀ values of 2.8±0.11, 3.1±0.10 and 3.0±0.06 μg/mL, respectively).     

Synthesis,Antiproliferative, and c‐Src Kinase Inhibitory Activities of 4‐Oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran Derivatives

A new class of 4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran derivatives were synthesized and their antiproliferative activity examined against a panel of three human cancer cell lines, that is, breast carcinoma (MDA‐MB‐468), ovarian adenocarcinoma (SK‐OV‐3), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT‐29). Two compounds, that is, 3‐hexyl‐7,8‐dihydroxy‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran and (E)‐ethyl 3‐(7‐methoxy‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran‐3‐yl)acrylate were found to be potent against all three cancer cell lines studied at 50 μM concentration. Also, the inhibitory potency of the compounds was evaluated against active Src kinase. A few of these compounds exhibited modest Src kinase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 52–57 μM). Structure‐activity relationship studies with respect to the nature and position of substituents on the lead compounds could be further exploited for the design and development of more potent antiproliferative agents and/or Src kinase inhibitors.     

Synthesis and Docking Studies of Some 1,2,3‐Benzotriazine‐4‐one Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents

Newly synthesized 1,2,3‐benzotriazine‐4‐one derivatives substituted at position‐3 were characterized by various analytical and spectral techniques. The in vitro antitumor activity was evaluated against three different cell lines (liver cells cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer), where compounds 7b , 15 , and 25 showed strong antitumor activity with IC₅₀ ranging from 5.54 to 16.26 μM. In addition, molecular modeling studies using MOE were performed to investigate their binding modes to the C‐Met kinase active site. Docking results demonstrated that all new compounds recognized the active sites of C‐Met kinase and form different types of bonding interactions with key active site amino acid residues.     

Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Anticancer Activities of Tetrahydropyrido[4,3‐d]dihydropyrimidine‐2‐thiones

A new series of tetrahydropyrido[4,3‐d]dihydropyrimidine‐2‐thiones ( 3a–3x ) were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by ¹H NMR, IR, MS and elemental analysis, and the conformation of compound 3j was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction. Preliminary bioassays indicated that most of the target compounds presented good antiproliferative activities against leukemic K562 cells, ovarian cancer HO‐8910 cells and liver cancer SMMC‐7721 cells in vitro. Among them the compounds 3i and 3m afford the best activity, the IC₅₀ of them were 3.22 and 3.65 µg/mL against leukemic K562 cells, respectively, which were lower than the anticancer drug of clinical practice 5‐FU (IC₅₀=8.56 µg/mL). Preliminary mechanism of action studies revealed that compound 3i caused DNA fragmentation and activated caspase‐3/7 in leukemic K562 cells.