Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Antitumour Activity of Di-n-Butyl, Tri-n-Butyl and Triphenyltin 3,6-Dioxaheptanoates and 3,6,9-Trioxadecanoates.

A series of di- and triorganotin 3,6-dioxaheptanoates and 3,6,9-trioxadecanoates were synthesized and characterized by (1)H, (13) and (117)Sn NMR, electrospray mass and (119m)Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy, as well as elemental analysis. Their in vitro antitumour activity against seven tumoural cell lines of human origin, two breast cancers (MCF-7, EVSA-T), a colon carcinoma (WiDr), an ovarian cancer (IGROV), a melanoma (M 19 MEL), a renal cancer (A 498) and a non small cell lung cancer (H 226), is reported. They are characterized by similar inhibition doses ID(50) as the analogous di- and triorganotin derivatives of 4-carboxybenzo-15-crown-5 and -18-crown-6 and in some cases by much lower ID(50) values than clinically used reference compounds such as doxorubicine and methotrexate.