Synthesis, antitumor activity of 2-amino-4H-benzo[h]chromene derivatives, and structure–activity relationships of the 3- and 4-positions

Several 2-amino-4H-benzo[h]chromenes (3a–i) and (5a–h) were obtained by reaction of 4-chloro-1-naphthol (1) with α-cyanocinnamonitrile (2a–i) or ethyl α-cyanocinnamate derivatives (4a–h), respectively. Structures of these compounds were established on the basis of spectral data. The antitumor activity of the synthesized compounds was investigated in comparison with Vinblastine, Colchicine, and Doxorubicin well-known anticancer drugs, using MTT colorimetric assay. Among them, the compounds 5e, 3c, 5f, b, d, 3d, 5c, a were the most active against MCF-7, 5a against HCT-116 and 5a, 3e, a against HepG-2 as compared with the standard drug Vinblastine, while the compounds 5e, 3c, 5f, b, d, 3d, 5c, a, h, 3i, g, a, e were the most active against MCF-7, 5a, c, e, f, b, 3e, c, g, b, 5d, h, 3d, i, 5g against HCT-116, 5a, 3e, a, 5e, 3c, 5d, c, f, 3b, 5g, 3g, 5h against HepG-2 as compared with the standard drug Colchicine. The structure–activity relationships of the 3- and 4-positions were discussed.