Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2-Phenoxy-N-Phenylacetamides as Novel Anticancer Agents.

A series of 2-phenoxy-N-phenylacetamides were designed and synthesized with a view to develop novel anticancer agents. All compounds were prepared with varied substitutions in the phenyl ring of aniline and evaluated for their anticancer activity. The majority of them displayed a moderate degree of cytotoxicity against several human cancer cell lines. Six compounds displayed potent cell growth inhibitory activity with IC values below 20 μM. Two compounds ( TC-5 and TC-14) exhibited the most pronounced antiproliferative activity equivalent to or higher than that of positive control. The structure - activity relationship of these anticancer agents has been reviewed. The results indicate that incorporation of halogen into the benzene ring is beneficial for anticancer activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]