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Six triterpenes and eight limonoids were evaluated for their capacity to inhibit the growth of three human tumour cell lines, breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), non-small cell lung cancer (NCI-H460) and melanoma (A375-C5). The mechanisms involved in the observed cell growth arrest of the four most potent compounds were carried out by studying their effect in cell cycle profile and programmed cell death. The results showed that one triterpene (odoratol) and two limonoids (gedunin and cedrelone) caused cell cycle arrest while only the limonoids gedunin and cedrelone were found to be very potent inducers of apoptosis.

The synthesis of two new sulfated xanthones and two O-substituted benzophenones was carried out to evaluate for their inhibitory effect on growth of human tumor cell lines. The sulfation of 3,6-(2) and 3,4-dihydroxyxanthone (3) was accomplished using sulfur trioxide-pyridine to give, respectively, xanthone-3,6-O,O-bis(sulfate) (4) and xanthone- 3,4-O,O-bis(sulfate) (5). Treatment of 2,2,4,4-tetrahydroxybenzophenone (6) with acetic acid and prenyl bromide furnished 2,2,4,4- tetraacetoxybenzophenone (7) and (5-hydroxy-2,2-dimethylchroman-6-yl)(2-hydroxy-4-(tertpentyloxy) phenyl)methanone (8), respectively. Compounds 2-8 were tested for their effect on the in vitro growth of four representative human tumor cell lines: MCF-7 ER() (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer), SF-268 (glioma), and A375-C5 (melanoma). Compounds 2 and 7-8 showed an inhibitory activity in the M range.`