Synthesis and anticancer activity of Davidigenin in Human Bel-7402 hepatocarcinoma cell lines

Objective To synthesize the flavonoid compound Davidigenin(dihydro-isoliquiritigenin,DH-ILG),and to study the anti-hepatocancer activity in vitro.Methods The hydroxyl group of 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone and hydroxybenzaldehyde were protected selectively;and the chalcone isoliquiritigenin(ILG) was obtained by aldolization and deprotection reactions;and then,davidigenin was obtained within two types of catalytic hydrogenation;the chemical structure was identified by routine methods;human hepatoma cell lines Bel-7402 was used as an in vitro model for testing the anticancer activity within MTT method.Results The target compound yield obtained by two different catalytic hydrogenation reagents were 20% and 91.45%;Davidigenin showed significant inhibitory activity to the proliferation of human hepatoma Bel-7402 cells,with the potency below isoliquiritigenin.Conclusion The effect of selective reduction by platinum dioxide to α,β-unsaturated double bond of ILG was higher than those of palladium carbon catalytic reduction;human Bel-7402 hepatocarcinoma cells have a relatively high sensitivity to the anticancer mechanism of davidigenin;the α,β-unsaturated double bond in chalcone structure was essential for their anticancer activity.These results may have important role for the structure-activity relationship study of licorice chalcone compounds and for screening new anticancer drug candidate.