Synthesis and Anti-tumor Activity of Novel Glycyrrhetinic Acid Derivatives

Twenty-five derivatives of glycyrrhetinic acid(GA)modified on the A-ring,at C30 and C11 positions were synthesized.Their in vitro cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines[henrietta lacks strain of cancer cells(HeLa),human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cells(HepG2)and human gastric carcinoma cells(BGC-823)]was evaluated by standard MTT[3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazol-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide]assay.All the tested derivatives were found to have stronger cell growth inhibitory than their parent compound GA.Among them,compounds 3a,5a,and 8d have similar activity on HeLa cell line,and compound 8a has similar activity on HeLa,HepG2 and BGC-823 cell lines as Gefitinib.