Synthesis and biological evaluation of cytotoxic activity of novel podophyllotoxin derivatives incorporating piperazinyl-cinnamic amide moieties

Podophyllotoxin, as a natural lignan isolated from the dried rhizomes and roots of several plant species of Podophyllum family, exhibits potent activity of interfering polymerization of tubulin and causes cancer cell apoptosis. Structure-activity relationship research revealed that modification at 4-position was tolerable for its potency. In the present study, podophyllotoxin derivatives incorporating piperazinyl-cinnamic amide moieties at 4-position were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by