Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of the analogues of glaziovianin A, a potent antitumor isoflavone.

Various analogues of glaziovianin A, an antitumor isoflavone, were synthesized, and their biological activities were evaluated. O(7)-modified glaziovianin A showed strong cytotoxicity against HeLa S(3) cells. Compared to glaziovianin A, the O(7)-benzyl and O(7)-propargyl analogues were more cytotoxic against HeLa S(3) cells and more potent M-phase inhibitors. Furthermore, O(7)-modified molecular probes of glaziovianin A were synthesized for biological studies.