Piscidinol A (1), a major compound isolated from Aphanamixis polystachya, showed modest anticancer activity against cancer cell lines. Subsequently, a series of analogues were synthesised by modification of the key structural functionalities of this high yield natural product and assessed for their anticancer potential against various cancer cell lines. Among the tested derivatives, the compounds 6e and 6i are significantly reduced the cell viability at 5.38 and 5.02 µM against DU145 prostate cancer cells, respectively. Additionally, both the compounds arrested the cell cycle at S phase and induced the late apoptosis in DU145 cells. Together, the results demonstrated that the compounds 6e and 6i could be a promising lead for the development of anticancer agents against DU145 and well worth further investigation aiming to generate potential anticancer agents.
Keywords: Aphanamixis polystachya; anticancer; apoptosis; piscidinol A; prostate cancer.